Colorado man sentenced to decades behind bars after investigators discover plot to murder wife
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A Denver man already serving time in jail will now be spending decades in prison after investigators say they intercepted a note containing plans to kill his wife.
On Friday, 34-year-old Yaury Hill was sentenced to four decades in prison after pleading guilty to solicitation to commit first-degree murder – a charge tied to a murder-for-hire plot that took place while he was incarcerated in the Arapahoe County jail.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said on Oct. 21, 2024, an Inmate Services Technician with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office intercepted a handwritten letter addressed to Hill's roommate in Denver, in which Hill had used his cellmate’s name to try to disguise the sender.
The letter included a request for Hill's roommate to assist with "taking out trash" at a construction site, with a cash payment promised. It also contained his wife's address, daily schedule, and other personal information.
However, investigators say several clues led them to discover the note's true sender, along with his coded intentions.
Firstly, investigators learned Hill's cellmate did not speak English and couldn't have written the note. The letter also included a quote from Harry Potter, a series Hill was known to enjoy and frequently quote.
Additionally, investigators determined the "job site" referenced in the letter was the home address of Hill’s wife.
Prosecutors believe Hill's motive was to prevent his wife from testifying against him in his pending criminal cases. At the time Hill was orchestrating his wife’s murder, she had multiple protection orders in place and was the victim in several domestic violence cases.
"This was a calculated plan," Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Cole Plummer said. "The defendant tried to disguise a murder plot inside what looked like an ordinary jail note, using coded references to construction and taking out the trash to mask his true intent. It didn’t take long for investigators to see through it and identify exactly who he was targeting."
Hill pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit first-degree murder, a class 2 felony, on Feb. 6. The plea was accepted, and he was sentenced to 40 years in the Department of Corrections a week later.
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
