DURANGO - United States Attorney Jason R. Dunn announced that Twyla Casados, age 34, of Ignacio, Colorado, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn to serve 14 years (168 months) in federal prison, followed by 5 years on supervised release, for murder in the second degree. Casados appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion.
Casados was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 4, 2019 on a charge of murder in the second degree. According to court documents, as well as facts presented during trial and sentencing, on Dec. 18, 2018, Casados drank to intoxication before taking the wheel of a Chevrolet Suburban with several of her children in the car. At approximately 5:30 p.m. near Ignacio, Colorado, Casados veered over a median turn lane into oncoming traffic. Casados’ Suburban crashed into another car, killing the driver instantly.
Prior to the crash, Casados had a lengthy history of alcohol-related offenses, including three convictions for D.U.I. (one of which resulted in serious injuries) and an alcohol-related child abuse conviction. Casados had received extensive treatment and supervision, none of which deterred her from drinking and driving on January 4, 2019. As part of the plea agreement, Casados specifically admitted that she was aware that her actions of driving under the influence posed a serious risk of death or serious bodily injury to herself or others, but stated that she did not care.
“Driving under the influence can be deadly," said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “The defendant killed another person as a result of her drunk driving. She will have 14 years in federal prison to reflect on that fact."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately one person dies in the United States every 50 minutes in a crash involving an alcohol impaired driver.[1]
This case was investigated by the Southern Ute Police Department. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Graves.
[1] NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS 2016 DATA: ALCOHOLIMPAIRED DRIVING (2017), available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812450.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
