Murder Charges Against Elderly Colorado Man Dropped

It was determined that a 96-year-old Colorado man accused of first-degree murder was unfit to stand trial and consequently, the case has been dismissed.

Who is the Colorado Man Previously Charged with Murder?

The man that was previously charged with murder, in this case, is 96-year-old Okey Payne. Payne is said to be suffering from mental illness and was previously living at Legacy Assisted Living in Lafayette, Colorado which is also where the murder took place.

Who Was the Man That Was Murdered in Colorado by Okey Payne?

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The man that was allegedly shot and killed by the 96-year-old Payne was an employee of Legacy Assisted Living, 44-year-old Ricardo Medina-Rojas. Following his untimely and tragic death, Medina-Rojas has been described as "a loving father and husband."

The Murder of Ricardo Medina-Rojas in Lafayette, Colorado

The murder of which Payne was charged occurred at The Legacy Assisted Living Facility located at 225 Waneka Parkway in Lafayette, Colorado on February 3rd, 2022.

Apparently, the mentally unstable Payne waved a gun around numerous employees before shooting Medina-Rojas who was transported from Legacy Assisted Living to a nearby hospital where he was put on life support but succumbed to his injuries later that day.

Payne was then arrested at the assisted living facility and taken into custody.

Why Did Payne Shoot Medina-Rojas?

It has been reported that Payne suffers from mental health issues and believed that the staff at Legacy Assisted Living was teaming up with his ex-wife to steal money from him. He believed that the staff was stealing from his wallet and forging checks in his name with the help of his ex-wife.

Why Was the Colorado Murder Case Dismissed?

While Payne was initially charged with first-degree murder and two counts of felony menacing following Medina-Rojas' death, the charges were dropped after the case was made that the 96-year-old was unfit to stand trial.

Payne has been described as having issues such as delusions, dementia, paranoid beliefs, and other mental health problems for as many as four years.

While Payne won't be spending any time behind bars for his crime, he will be spending the rest of his years at Colorado's state hospital, the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo.

[The Times Call]