In the quiet town of Mead, Colorado, a grim discovery was made on the morning of September 21, 2016. First responders arrived at a home on Hunter's Cove Road around 8:30 a.m. following reports of a shooting. Inside, they found 51-year-old Shawna Naimoli, a female from Thornton, deceased. She had sustained two gunshot wounds to the head, and a bolt-action rifle was found resting on her chest.
Investigators were immediately skeptical of the scene suggesting a suicide.
The nature of the weapon and the presence of two gunshot wounds made it highly improbable that Naimoli had taken her own life. Their suspicions quickly turned towards Ronald Budler, the 49-year-old brother of Naimoli's boyfriend. Budler was arrested in connection with her death the same day.
During the investigation, Budler acknowledged his involvement in the shooting. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and held without bail at the Weld County jail. The motive for the killing was not publicly released by the district attorney's office.
In December of 2018, Ronald Budler pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. The following February, a Weld County judge sentenced the then 51-year-old to 35 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for the murder of his brother's girlfriend, bringing a legal conclusion to the tragic and violent end of Shawna Naimoli's life.
