In the early morning hours of September 18, 2020, the life of 42-year-old Abdul Nigel Jefferies was tragically cut short in what prosecutors would later describe as a horrific execution. Jefferies, a man with connections to Denver, Fort Collins, and Texas, was found on the second-floor balcony of the Rodeway Inn in Evans, Colorado, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Responding to a 911 call about shots fired at approximately 3:50 a.m., Evans Police Department officers arrived at
the motel on 8th Avenue to a grim scene. Jefferies was pronounced dead at the location. The investigation into his death quickly pointed to a suspect, Joseph Gonzales, a 29-year-old from the nearby city of Greeley. Investigators were able to identify and locate Gonzales swiftly, in part because he had been released from prison just a few months prior and was wearing a GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his parole. The data from this monitor placed him at the scene of the crime at the time of Jefferies' death.
The evidence against Gonzales was substantial and painted a chilling picture of the final moments of Abdul Jefferies' life. Surveillance footage from the Rodeway Inn reportedly showed Gonzales approaching Jefferies and shooting at or near his head. As Jefferies attempted to flee, Gonzales shot him in the back, causing him to fall. The footage then captured Gonzales shooting Jefferies several more times before approaching him and firing two final shots to the head at point-blank range. Gonzales was arrested in his motel room shortly after the incident.
During an interview with investigators, Gonzales reportedly confessed to the murder, stating that he killed Jefferies because the victim had 'did something' to a close friend of his. This motive, however, did little to mitigate the brutal nature of the crime in the eyes of the law. In November 2022, a Weld County jury convicted Joseph Gonzales of murder. Given his status as a convicted felon and the heinous nature of the crime, Gonzales was sentenced to life in prison, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his days behind bars for the calculated killing of Abdul Nigel Jefferies. Abdul, who was born in El Paso, Texas, was described as a smart, funny, caring, and loving man who was devoted to his family and friends. He was a husband, father, and grandfather, leaving behind a wife, two sons, and two grandchildren.
