On the evening of February 15, 2017, Donat Herr, a 67-year-old White male, was working at his business, Empire Wine & Liquors, on North Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His life was tragically cut short that night in an act of violence that was part of a larger crime spree. Just before midnight, a robbery was reported at the liquor store. When officers arrived, they found Herr with a gunshot wound.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the murder of Donat Herr soon revealed that it was not an isolated incident but rather connected to a series of crimes that had been plaguing the community. This crime spree led law enforcement to identify several suspects. On March 2, 2017, authorities apprehended 19-year-old Dustin Logan and 18-year-old Phinehas Daniels. A third suspect, a juvenile, was also taken into custody and has not been publicly identified due to their age. Another teenager, Isaiah Trujillo, was later charged with Herr's murder.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of justice for Donat Herr's family and the community. Phinehas Daniels pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in May of the following year. In February 2018, Isaiah Trujillo was sentenced to serve up to 28 years in the Department of Corrections for his role in the murder. This sentence, however, would be suspended if he successfully completed seven years at the Department of Youth Services. During Trujillo's sentencing, his difficult upbringing and family life were mentioned by both the prosecution and the defense. Another accomplice, a 13-year-old, was sentenced to six and a half years in the Department of Youth Services in connection to the murder. Four individuals were ultimately arrested in the robbery spree, with two facing charges directly related to the death of the liquor store owner.
