In the late hours of a November night in Colorado Springs, a confrontation in a detached garage brought a violent and tragic end to the life of 54-year-old Robert Joseph Carrigan. On November 3, 2015, Carrigan sustained a fatal gunshot wound that the El Paso County Coroner's Office would later rule as a homicide. His life, which an obituary described as a battle with many demons, concluded in a manner his family lamented as 'violent and underserved.'
The man responsible for Carrigan's
death was Michael Joseph Galvin, a 35-year-old U.S. Army Green Beret. The incident unfolded inside Galvin's garage, where he confronted Carrigan. An autopsy revealed that Carrigan, who was unarmed, had been shot three times in the back. Following an investigation, Galvin was arrested and charged with negligent homicide.
The case proceeded to a jury trial where the central question was whether Galvin's actions were justified under Colorado's 'Make My Day' law, which provides legal protection to homeowners who use deadly force against intruders they fear could cause them harm. Prosecutors argued that Galvin shot an unarmed Carrigan as he was attempting to flee. However, Galvin's defense team contended that he was acting to protect his wife and two children. They argued that Carrigan, who was reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine, had lunged for Galvin's pistol during the confrontation, instilling a reasonable fear of harm in the homeowner.
Ultimately, the jury sided with the defense. Michael Joseph Galvin was acquitted of negligent homicide in the death of Robert Carrigan. The verdict concluded the legal proceedings surrounding the fatal encounter, leaving Carrigan's family and friends to remember him as a kind and gentle man who was haunted by pain and sorrow throughout much of his life.
