They Were Married for More Than 40 Years. Then She Killed Him at Their Senior Living Facility By Christine Pelisek

A Colorado woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband inside a senior living facility was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 30.

Kathy Lawton, 73, was found guilty of second-degree murder in December following a two-day trial in connection with the 2024 death of her husband Larry, according to the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The case came to light on Nov. 24, 2024, when police were called to the Bonaventure Senior Living Facility in Pueblo — about 100 miles south of Denver, according to KRDO.

Larry, 85, was discovered dead on the floor in the living room and a knife was found on a nearby end table, FOX 21 reported, citing an arrest affidavit.

According to the affidavit, after the stabbing, a “hysterical” Lawton approached the front desk alerting staff that her husband was dead, per the outlet.

“When the staff checked on the victim, he was cold, bloody, and had multiple stab wounds,” according to the district attorney’s press release.

Prosecutors claimed Lawton was “observed to have been intoxicated at the time of the incident.”

According to KRDO, citing arrest documents, when an officer asked her what happened, Lawton said her husband had taken a fall and couldn’t get back up.

Some residents of the facility heard the couple fighting at around 4 p.m. on the day of the killing, the outlet reported, citing the documents.

According to the Pueblo Chieftain, the couple lived together at the facility and had been married for more than 40 years.

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Erik Walser asked that Lawton be sentenced to 32 years in prison. He argued that Lawton had been facing domestic violence criminal charges but they were dismissed “due to the murder of her husband before the case could proceed to trial,” per the press release.

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“Our community deserves accountability in all cases but especially in cases where a vulnerable victim is targeted. While no sentence can undo the harm caused by this defendant, today’s sentence affirms the District Attorney’s commitment to pursuing justice with diligence and resolve,” 10th Judicial District Attorney Kala Beauvais said in a statement.

Lawton’s attorney could not be reached for comment.