In a motel room in Craig, Colorado, a celebration between a husband and wife took a tragic turn, ending the life of 48-year-old Michael Adam Freese. On October 4, 2017, Freese and his wife, Rachel Ann Niemeyer, 40, were celebrating new job offers at the Clarion Inn & Suites with heavy drinking in their room at the Bear Valley Inn. The couple, who had recently moved to Craig and were living in the motel while seeking employment, began 'messing around' with a.
22-caliber rifle they reportedly believed to be unloaded.
The revelry turned fatal when the rifle discharged, sending a bullet into Freese's right ear, which lodged in his spine. He was rushed to a local hospital with what was described as an 'extremely serious, life-threatening injury' and was then airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, where he died the following day. In the immediate aftermath, Niemeyer's account to police was hazy; she repeatedly asked officers if she had shot her husband, while at other times stating she had done it and claimed he had set her up. She mentioned that Freese had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few months prior and had made comments about wanting her to end his life.
Rachel Ann Niemeyer was arrested and initially charged with first-degree domestic violence. Following her husband's death, the charges were upgraded, and she eventually faced trial. The prosecution argued that Niemeyer, fueled by alcohol and resentment over her husband's drinking and lack of financial contribution, shot him in a moment of rage. The defense countered that Freese had shot himself. In May 2018, a jury found Niemeyer guilty of second-degree murder, and she was later sentenced to 18 years in prison.
However, the legal saga did not end there. In a significant development, the Colorado Supreme Court reversed Niemeyer's murder conviction in September 2024. The court ruled that police had failed to provide a Miranda warning before interrogating her, making her incriminating statements inadmissible. The court noted that Niemeyer's apparent confession was the 'bedrock of the prosecution's case' and ordered a new trial. The investigation into Michael Adam Freese's death was conducted by the Craig Police Department and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
