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Man sentenced to more than 220 years in prison for murdering UCCS professor

Man sentenced to more than 220 years in prison for murdering UCCS professor
Haleh Abghari
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A man has been sentenced to 224 years in prison for murdering a UCCS professor, according to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's (DA's) Office.

The DA's Office says that in August 2024, 54-year-old Caesar Wilson entered 54-year-old Haleh Abhari's home through an open garage door and intended to steal items.

He encountered Abhari, and a struggle ensued. The DA's Office says Wilson stabbed her several times, stole her car, and drove off.

  • Watch News5's coverage of the incident below:

Seven months after the incident, law enforcement officers tracked down Wilson, who was being held in another state under a different name on unrelated charges.

Wilson was extradited to El Paso County. In February, a jury found him guilty on the following charges:

  • second-degree murder
  • aggravated robbery
  • second degree motor vehicle theft
  • identity theft
  • theft
  • Watch News5's coverage of the jury's verdict below:

The jury also found Wilson to be a habitual criminal based on 14 prior felony convictions in North Carolina between 1991 and 1994.

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