In the quiet community of El Jebel, Colorado, a tragedy unfolded on a summer night, forever altering the lives of a local family. On July 12, 2014, 42-year-old Eliseo Lopez and his 40-year-old wife, Mayra Lorena Lopez, were fatally shot in their home in the Sopris Village subdivision. The couple’s two sons, who were home at the time, were unharmed.
One of the boys, then 14, escaped the house and called 911 to report the shooting.
The suspect, who fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, was identified as Williams Anderson Amaya, the 33-year-old nephew of the victims. Amaya had been renting a room in the Lopez's residence. Authorities were able to track him down by pinging his cellphone. He was found at his place of employment in Glenwood Springs and surrendered to a SWAT team without incident early the following morning. He was subsequently arrested on two counts of first-degree murder.
During the investigation and subsequent trial, a disturbing motive emerged. Amaya claimed he killed his aunt and uncle because he believed they were possessed by Lucifer. On the day of the killings, Amaya purchased a. 380 caliber handgun and, in a bizarre ritual, bathed the bullets in holy water at a church before returning to the Lopez home. An argument over the family dog reportedly preceded the fatal shootings. Each victim was shot four times.
Amaya pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. During his trial, psychiatrists testified that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and unspecified schizophrenia. Amaya told investigators that he was the 'son of Lucifer' and that his actions were for the good of humanity. In October 2016, a jury found Williams Amaya not guilty by reason of insanity. He was committed to the state mental hospital for treatment.
