In the late hours of an autumn evening in Denver, Colorado, the life of 22-year-old Nancy Worrell was tragically cut short. On October 29, 2014, she was at an east Denver apartment located on South Parker Road with her friend, 19-year-old Amanda Anders. An argument broke out, the specifics of which remain unclear. The dispute escalated with horrifying speed, culminating in a burst of gunfire that shattered the night's quiet.
Responding to reports of screams followed by gunshots, Denver
police officers arrived at the French Quarter apartments to a grim scene. Inside, they discovered the bodies of both Nancy Worrell and Amanda Anders. Both women had been shot and killed. Nancy, a culinary student with a 'sparkling personality,' was described by her uncle as 'bubbly and happy' and someone who made friends easily. She was excitedly embarking on her new educational journey in Denver at the time of her death.
The suspect in the double homicide was identified as Jose King, who was 24 years old at the time of his conviction. King was Amanda Anders' roommate, though they were not romantically involved. Following the shooting, King fled the scene. His escape was short-lived, however, as he was arrested a short time later by Castle Rock police. After his arrest, King admitted to an officer that he had done 'a bad thing.' He confessed to detectives that after the argument with Worrell and Anders, he went to his bedroom, retrieved a handgun, and shot both of them. He then left the apartment, only to return to get his keys, stepping over the victims' bodies to do so before driving to his parents' home in Castle Rock.
In December 2015, a Denver jury deliberated for just an hour and a half before finding Jose King guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Nancy Worrell and Amanda Anders. He was subsequently sentenced for his crimes. The case was prosecuted by the Denver District Attorney's Office, bringing a legal conclusion to the senseless act of violence that claimed two young lives.
