Jury returns guilty verdict for Denver teen who killed Pamela Cabriales

A jury has returned a guilty verdict in the deadly shooting trial of Remi Cordova. The teen was found guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree murder extreme indifference and criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree with extreme indifference in the shooting death of Pamela Cabriales. 
Cordova murdered the young mother on Feb. 20, 2021 on Colfax Avenue near I-25 after the two cars they were in were involved in a minor fender-bender. Cordova was 14 years old at the time. 
“It’s senseless, it’s evil. There’s no remorse that we’ve seen,” said Alex Cabriales, brother of the victim outside a Denver District Courtroom. 
“It’s senseless, it’s evil. There’s no remorse that we’ve seen,” said Alex Cabriales, brother of the victim outside a Denver District Courtroom. 
Police say Cordova got out of his car and opened fire on Cabriales with a high-powered rifle. The 32-year-old mother and real estate agent was on her way home from having dinner with a friend. She died a few days later. Cabriales had a 6-year-old son.
“I think about how she lived for her son, you know? she just had just bought her first home and she was doing everything for her son to give him a better future, a better life,” said Alex Cabriales.
“It seems like it gets worse. Lot of people fighting, killing each other and you know, nothing change,” said Pam’s mother Irma Cabriales. 
Cordova was tried as an adult in Cabriales’ murder. The jury returned a downgraded verdict of second-degree murder instead of the first-degree murder charge that was initially brought against him. 
At home with his grieving mother Alex Cabriales said the family is exhausted.
“This last trial, it definitely took everything out of me.”
They have lived through the same kind of tragedy before. The brother of Pam and Alex Cabriales, Noel Cabriales, was killed at the age of 15 at Kentucky and Quitman in Denver in 1994. It was also a senseless crime said his family. It was a dispute over a dog.
The family at times has had to push the justice system. They opposed a plea deal in a related case against Neshan Johnson, who drove the car and encouraged Cordova to shoot. Judge Darryl Shockley opposed the plea deal as well and rejected it. Ultimately Johnson was sentenced to 35 years in the Department of Corrections and 14 years of parole on June 30, 2023, for the murder of Cabriales.
The family of Pam Cabriales also remains upset over what happened before her killing. Cordova was in trouble with the law as a young juvenile. A judge allowed him to go free rather than remain in custody.
“My sister would be sitting right here with us. She let him out three times on aggravated cases with guns in Denver,” said Alex Cabriales. “It would be really good to pass a bill in my sister’s name where in these situations, very rare situations that judges should not have immunity. And they should be able to be civilly sued or disbarred.”
Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. in Denver District Court. The range in his sentence could vary widely from approximately 40 years to life with potential reduction for time served.
“I am very grateful to the jury for returning this just verdict, which I hope will provide some comfort and a sense of justice to everyone who knew and loved Pamela Cabriales,” said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann in a prepared statement. “This was an entirely senseless and cold-blooded murder, for which Remi Cordova is now being held accountable.”