Leadville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison For Murdering Uncle

John Bryan • Jul 30, 2022

LEADVILLE, Colo. – Eric Christopher Gurule, 29, of Leadville, was sentenced today to Life in Prison (without the possibility of parole) in the Colorado Department of Corrections for the First Degree Murder of his uncle and former boss, Randy Flores, 55. A jury found Gurule guilty of First Degree Murder on June 22, 2022, after deliberating only a few hours.

Gurule was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) without incident Sept. 4, 2020, in connection with the death of Mr. Flores, also a Leadville resident. LCSO Deputies responded to 1732 Highway 24, Sept. 3, 2020, responding to a 9-1-1 call, and discovered Mr. Flores dead in his home. Due to signs of a struggle and significant damage to the residence, a homicide investigation began immediately by the LCSO, with assistance from the 5^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Mr. Flores was the owner of Pro-Electric, Inc.—an electric services business in the Leadville area for more than 10 years. Gurule worked at Pro-Electric, and it was proved the homicide took place at Mr. Flores’ home, where an after work gathering occurred Sept. 2, 2020, attended by several co-workers and friends.

A co-worker, Jeremy Sandoval, said he left the party around 7pm Sept. 2^nd, leaving Mr. Flores, two others and Gurule drinking alcohol. The next morning, when Flores did not show up for the all-employee 8am meeting, Sandoval went to Flores’ residence and found numerous broken objects, holes in the wall, cabinet doors ripped off their hinges, etc. And, he found Randy Flores, dead in his bathroom and called 9-1-1.

The two other witnesses at the party said Gurule was drinking beer and “flipped a switch”, getting confrontational with them. So, they left the party and Gurule alone with Mr. Flores. Upon questioning, Gurule admitted to being at the party drinking, but claims he woke up the next morning in his own bed, with dried blood on his nose and hands, not remembering what happened the night before.

During a voluntary CBI interview, authorities noticed Gurule had a swollen right hand, scratches on his arms, side and back; and, bruises on his right knee along with a contusion on the left side of his forehead. Per a pathologist’s report, the cause of death for Mr. Flores was severe blunt force craniocerebral injuries, with rib fractures being a significant contributor. Elements of strangulation could not be ruled out, per the pathologist.

This was not the first time Gurule had interactions with law enforcement, alcohol and related violence. Per a Commerce City Police Dept. report in 2018, Gurule was intoxicated at a bar, trying aggressively to get other patrons to drink with him. When one customer tried to get him to stop, Gurule ‘head butted’ him in his nose. When another customer tried to escort Gurule out of the bar, he was also head butted. Responding officers asked him why he was violent with the two males, and Gurule claimed to not remember anything, as well.

“I would like to thank the efforts of law enforcement and particularly the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for their quick response and willingness to lead this investigation. Our thoughts go out to Mr. Flores’ family and the community, and we hope that today’s sentencing helps close this chapter in their grief for this overwhelming loss,” said Heidi McCollum, 5^th Judicial District Attorney.

-DA5-

ALL PERSONS CHARGED WITH CRIMES ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT

UNTIL THE CONTRARY IS PROVEN IN A COURT OF LAW.

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Man Found Guilty in Co-Worker’s 2019 Death

By John Bryan • 08 Mar, 2024

Breckenridge, Colo. (Summit County) – Miles Fernando Tovar, 40, of Breckenridge, was found guilty today by a jury of: Reckless Manslaughter (F4), and 1 st Degree Criminal Trespass (F5) related to a 2019 incident involving the death of his (then) co-worker, Brendan Rye. The jury found him not guilty of: 1 st Degree Burglary (F3), and another charge of 1 st Degree Criminal Trespass. During the investigation of the death by the Breckenridge Police Department, an arrest warrant was issued for Defendant Tovar in February 2022, and he later turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service in Bridgeport, Conn., in October 2022. He was extradited back to Summit County, Colo., to face charges here. Background On Nov. 6, 2019, at 9:48pm, a co-worker called 9-1-1 to report Mr. Rye was unconscious and not breathing in a condominium they were all living in while renovating it (in Breckenridge). Upon arrival, law enforcement found Mr. Rye laying unresponsive in the bathroom. He was later pronounced deceased. Tovar, Rye and the reporting party were all temporarily living in the condo while they renovated it as subcontractors. The owner of the unit lived nearby and invited the men to have dinner in his condo as a thank you for their hard work. Tovar became heavily intoxicated during the evening dinner, and the condo owner asked him to leave. Tovar kept returning to the owner’s residence for various reasons, and Mr. Rye would step in and physically lead Tovar away and back to their unit, several times that night. This apparently led to the deadly confrontation between Tovar and Rye. At some point, the reporting party heard loud ‘pops’ inside the unit. Tovar had been shot in the leg once, and Rye’s death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. 5 th Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum said, “We appreciate the efforts of the Breckenridge Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service in bringing this defendant to answer for the crimes he committed. Mr. Rye’s family and friends have waited more than four years for this justice, and I sincerely hope this is one more step in their healing process.” Tovar will be sentenced on May 9, 2024, at 10:30am. He faces one to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) for the criminal trespass conviction, and two to six years for reckless manslaughter (in the DOC). -DA5- ALL PERSONS CHARGED WITH CRIMES ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL THE CONTRARY IS PROVEN IN A COURT OF LAW.