DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A man convicted of killing a Colorado U.S. Air Force member in a drunk driving crash in August of last year will spend the rest of his days in prison, a Douglas County judge ruled Thursday.
Paul Stephenson, 57, was found guilty of nearly a dozen counts back in April for the drunk driving crash that killed 39-year-old U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Anderson.
Prosecutors say Anderson and his family were coming home from the last day of the Douglas County Fair on Aug. 4, 2024, when Stephenson crashed into Anderson’s vehicle, which was stopped at a 7-Eleven gas pump on Plum Creek Parkway in Castle Rock as Anderson’s wife was going inside the store to get popsicles for the family.
Anderson and three of his children suffered injuries in the crash and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Anderson would later die at the hospital.
Judge Victoria Klingensmith, in handing down the sentence, said she was baffled at how Stephenson had “not shown one ounce of empathy for the Anderson family and what you have put them through.”
Stephenson, who showed little remorse for what he did, told the judge before sentencing he did not think he received a fair trial, saying he was just sorry they were all there.
“I don’t know this people,” Stephenson said. “It was a terrible accident.”
Stephenson’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was determined to be nearly three times the legal limit at the time of the crash, “the equivalent of eight-and-a-half shots of whiskey,” according to 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler.
When questioned by police a day after the crash, Stephenson said he was headed toward Seven Star Liquor to purchase more alcohol after admitting he had consumed two beers and a pint of Fireball whiskey prior to the crash, but that he changed his mind because “he knew better,” according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
“This was arguably an intentional act,” Judge Klingensmith said.
The lifelong sentence handed down by Klingensmith will run consecutively to four counts of attempted murder and one count of child abuse. He was also sentenced on several other counts, including assault, criminal mischief and DUI.
In all, Stephenson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus 92 years.
Family, co-workers remember ‘a man no longer with us’
Before sentencing Thursday, Anderson’s family as well as his co-workers spoke of a man who represented “the very best of our nation.”
Lt. Colonel Francisco Guzman, Anderson’s commanding officer, spoke of Anderson as someone who believed “each of us has a duty to family, community and nation.”
Guzman told the judge he and his co-workers now face the reality that Anderson is no longer with them due to “an avoidable decision” made by Stephenson that afternoon in 2024.
“Justice still means something in this country,” Guzman told the judge. “Stephenson must be held accountable. Responsibility matters.”
Castle Rock Police Department Officer Tyler Yowell recounted the traumatic moments the family went through following the crash, saying through tears how he remembered one of the children saying, “My daddy died, he can’t play with me anymore.”
“As a parent and a spouse, this is something we hope we never have to go through,” Yowell said. “We now think about which fuel pump we will use — and where its location is to the road.”
Anderson’s sisters, Tara King and Jill Anderson, spoke of their baby brother, who made them proud for his academic and athletic achievements earlier in life. They spoke of his amazing career for the U.S. Air Force, adding little did they know that he was in grave danger “by a man who made a choice to drive extremely drunk.”
“The pain is so intense it can’t be written in words on this paper,” Jill told the court.
From her part, Allison Anderson, Matthew’s widow, told the court memories of her late husband’s face the day of the crash still haunt her to this day. She also said her husband’s service to his country was repaid “by being brutally killed” that day.
“I’m praying he never harms anyone ever again,” Allison said.
Stephenson ‘no stranger to the justice system'
In closing arguments, the prosecution made the case why Stephenson was deserving of the maximum sentence by showing video of the crash and bodycam footage of the aftermath, in which Anderson’s wife and kids can be seen screaming and crying following the crash, asking if their dad was going to be OK and saying they were scared.
“Paul is no stranger to the justice system, just a stranger to consequences,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Nate Marsh, as he cited Stephenson’s previous run-ins with the law for theft, domestic violence, DUI and harassment charges.
“We’ve tried rehabilitation before with his previous DUIs,” Marsh said. “Now, there must be a punishment that promotes accountability and deters others from this type of crime.”
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