By Karen Augé
The Denver Post
DENVER, Colo. — A judge on Tuesday allowed convicted murderer Edward Montour to withdraw his guilty plea in the 2002 killing of a corrections officer, meaning the 11-year-old case must start over from square one.
Montour pleaded guilty in 2003 to killing corrections officer Eric Autobee, and a judge imposed the death penalty. The Colorado Supreme Court later overturned the sentence, saying only a jury can hand down a death sentence.
Since then, the case has taken twists and turns through various courts as attorneys argue over a number of legal issues.
Now, it returns to where it began, in a Douglas County courtroom where Montour will have a second chance to enter a plea, and where District Attorney George Brauchler says he will seek a second death sentence for Montour.
That means Brauchler’s office will be pursuing two death penalty cases simultaneously. He announced last week that he will seek a death sentence for James Holmes, who is accused in last summer’s attack at an Aurora movie theater.
Full story: Edward Montour to get new trial in killing of corrections officer