To read a full account of the court proceedings, including testimony of witnesses and arguments presented by both attorneys before the jury reached a verdict, see the Wednesday, June 23 edition of the Valley Courier.

ALAMOSA — It took less than half an hour for the jury made up of six men and six women to find Henry Corral, 45, guilty on two counts of murder in the first degree (felony 1) for the shooting deaths of Aurelio Piña, 61, and his son Gabriel Piña, 37, plus criminal attempted murder in the first degree (felony 2) for shooting Manuel Flores, 44, multiple times at the Sunset Inn located in Alamosa during the early morning hours on June 23, 2024. The jury also found Corral guilty of criminal attempted robbery (felony 2) and tampering with evidence (felony 6) for actions he took after fleeing the scene.

In separate but connected proceedings, the jury was presented with evidence of Corral previously being found guilty of three other unrelated felonies committed in different judicial districts in the state of Colorado, including one charge of manslaughter. Those convictions, the jury decided, met the criteria for Corral to be considered a habitual criminal which allows the sentencing to be increased up to four times the standard sentencing range in Colorado.

In this case, being considered a habitual criminal would only impact sentencing in counts 2, 3 and 4 as being found guilty of murder in the first degree is a mandatory life sentence in the Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole.

Before passing down sentencing, District Judge Crista Newmyer-Olsen heard testimony from the victims’ families with three people choosing to speak.

Jeana Piña, Aurelio’s daughter and Gabriel’s sister, told the court she was “thankful that justice is served” and there is accountability. “I feel so raw,” she said. “My grandfather just turned 88. My father had no health issues, and we were robbed of so many years. He would have lived a long life. He never even had a chance to meet his grandson.”

She also brought up the mother of Manuel Flores saying, “Manuel’s mother lost a son, too. He feels so responsible for what happened and he’ll never be the same again. We were robbed of so much. I want [Henry Corral] to get the maximum sentence.”

Blanca Piña, Aurelio’s wife, addressed the court by first thanking the jury, the police department and the district attorney’s office. “We were married when I was 21 and had three kids. Now we have two. This person had no right to do what he did and now we’re broken. I know we don’t have the death penalty but I want him to have the maximum. I don’t know how he can live with himself.”

Jose Lopez, the man who Corral attacked and tried to steal his car when fleeing the police, said he was not as deeply affected as other people but thanked the district attorney for overseeing the case and making it “cut and dried”. He also said he thinks holding Corral accountable will “be good for the community” and he "hoped Corral gets what he deserves."

District Attorney Anne Kelly delivered comments, which she later expressed in a similar statement to the Valley Courier that read, “This Defendant executed a father and son in cold blood and left another permanently broken. This unimaginable level of violence cannot be tolerated in our community. Law enforcement brought to bear all of the resources available to ensure that this man never sees the light of day. He deserves the sentence he received, two consecutive life sentences plus 107 years. The herculean effort by law enforcement to take this man into custody on June 23, 2024 deserves the highest amount of praise from the citizens of Alamosa. This case represents the worst kind of tragedy for the families of the victims. I know our community supports them through their grief.”

In response to Kelly’s comments, Richard Leary, defense attorney said, “No one deserves to be alone. Everyone should have a defense.” Leary then briefly spoke of his experience with Jesuit priests. “Jesuits taught me – even the person who seems the most vile deserves a defense, so that’s what I did.”

Corral addressed the court, saying,  “There are no words that I can say to mend the broken hearts I’ve caused. I don’t have much to say except I’m sorry.”

Newmyer-Olsen then handed down the sentence which totals two life sentences to be served consecutively plus 107 years in the Department of Corrections for the other counts.

Finally, Newmyer-Olsen addressed the court, stating that she felt for the families as she has had personal experience with unexpected loss. She then praised Jeana Piña for the strength she displayed during the trial, following up with comments directed at Corral.

“I always manage to find something nice to say about a defendant but I don’t have it. The violence of the case – nothing about it was appropriate. I’m just not able to find something nice to say.” She then mentioned having seen Flores in court before the shooting and the impact the violence had on him. “The Manuel Flores who existed prior to this shooting will never be alive again.”

Following sentencing, Corral was remanded to custody of the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office who will then turn over custody to the Department of Corrections.

After the proceedings, Jeana Piña – holding back tears – told the Valley Courier, “I’m glad this is over. We’ve had to come to so many hearings, and I’m grateful to the jury. There needs to be accountability. But nothing can be done to bring back my dad and my brother. We’ll never be the same.”

When asked, Leary indicated to the Valley Courier that they planned to appeal the verdict.