Saturday, June 6, 2009

Man faces murder charge in girlfriend’s April death


By Brandon Johansson
THE AURORA SENTINEL
Published: Friday, June 5, 2009 2:34 PM MDT
AURORA | An Aurora woman’s April 16 death has been ruled a homicide and her boyfriend has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge, police said Friday.

Kotch Ouellette, 38, was arrested by police in Westminster on Thursday, just a day after the Arapahoe County coroner ruled the death of his girlfriend, Jennifer Sheppard, 45, a homicide, police said.

In a statement Friday, police said  they responded April 14 to a home in the 4300 block of South Evanston Court on a report of domestic violence.

There, police arrested Ouellette on a charge of domestic violence and booked him into the city jail.

Sheppard told police that night that she hit her head during the altercation with Ouellette, but she refused medical treatment, police said in the statement.

Sheppard was in contact with family members until the early evening on April 15, police said.

The next day, April 16, Sheppard was found dead at the home on South Evanston Court, police said.

The coroner’s office ruling on Wednesday said her death was a homicide and was the result of blunt force trauma. Police said the coroner’s office believes she died of injuries sustained during the April 14 incident.

Ouellette is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond at the Arapahoe County Jail on charges of second degree murder, first degree assault and domestic violence

He is due in court June 10.

According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records, Ouellette has a lengthy arrest record in Colorado dating back to 1995. His record includes arrests for domestic violence in March 1995, assaulting a police office in October 1995, kidnapping in 1998, larceny in 2005, trespassing in 2006 and driving under the influence early this year.

Sheppard was also arrested once in Colorado when Aurora police arrested her on a domestic violence charge in 2000. A court later dismissed that charge.



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