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WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- The Weld County district attorney has decided not to file charges, at this time, against a woman accused of shooting and killing one man and stabbing another.Karen Cordova, 48, who lives outside Erie, was released from Weld County Jail Thursday. She had been arrested Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree homicide and attempted second-degree homicide."The investigation into this case is still open," said district attorney spokeswoman Jennifer Finch. If new information in the case becomes available, the District Attorney's Office "will certainly review that information and consider whether or not formal charges will be filed."<table class="storyAd" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="storyAdObj">
</td></tr></tbody></table>Court records obtained by 7NEWS said cousins Kyle Dust, 31, and Stephen Erikson, 34, planned to rob Cordova, after learning that she was growing medical marijuana on her property.Authorities say Dust was fatally shot and Erikson stabbed last weekend during a confrontation at Cordova's home.A legal expert said this raised the possibility that Cordova may be protected by Colorado's so-called Make My Day law, which states that a person can use deadly force to protect themself or others in their home.What Weld County Undersheriff Margie Martinez called a very complicated investigation began early Saturday when Erie police learned that Erikson had staggered into his Erie home with stab wounds. A roommate called 911.Erikson was taken by ambulance to Lafayette Samaritan Hospital in critical condition, Martinez said.Further investigation led police and sheriff's investigators to the discovery of Dust's body behind Cordova's Buffalo Road home midday Monday, Martinez said.That's when Cordova started crying and said: "I'm not going to lie. What would you do if someone broke into your house at 2:30 in the morning? I'm a single woman," the affidavit said.It goes on to state that she later uttered: "Oh my God. I didn't know that I killed him. They were coming for me. They were coming for me."Initially, investigators believed the Dust had been stabbed. But an autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound, Martinez said.When asked if Cordova reported the violent clash to authorities, Martinez replied,"I think that's still unclear."The affidavit states that an acquaintance of the two men said Dust and Erikson had planned on committing the robbery on June 8, but he didn't know if they'd followed through on the crime.According to the affidavit, the acquaintance recalled that two weeks earlier Erikson said he had been introduced to Cordova, and learned about the marijuana. Erikson was supposed to be doing handyman jobs around the woman's house.The acquaintance told authorities that Erikson and another cousin, Lacy Pittman, burglarized the house (late Friday or early Saturday.)He said Erikson knew that Cordova wouldn't be home.The acquaintance also said that Erikson came back with his other cousin, Kyle Dust, later that night, (early Saturday morning) to burglarize it again.This time Cordova was home.Bob Grant, a former Adams County district attorney, said Cordova could invoke the Make My Day law if the men broke into her home and she had reason to believe that a crime was going to be committed and that someone could get hurt.When asked if Cordova's legal defense could be undermined if she did not report the shooting and stabbing to police, Grant replied, "Ordinary citizens are not required to report a crime."A relative of the two men told 7NEWS she didn't want to talk about the burglary allegations.But the relative said it's ludicrous that Cordova might get away with homicide. The relative said family members are angry that Cordova apparently never called police to report the burglary, probably because she was growing marijuana.She said it was unconscionable that Dust's body lay in Cordova's back yard for two days before it was discovered.
WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- The Weld County district attorney has decided not to file charges, at this time, against a woman accused of shooting and killing one man and stabbing another.Karen Cordova, 48, who lives outside Erie, was released from Weld County Jail Thursday. She had been arrested Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree homicide and attempted second-degree homicide."The investigation into this case is still open," said district attorney spokeswoman Jennifer Finch. If new information in the case becomes available, the District Attorney's Office "will certainly review that information and consider whether or not formal charges will be filed."<table class="storyAd" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="storyAdObj">
</td></tr></tbody></table>Court records obtained by 7NEWS said cousins Kyle Dust, 31, and Stephen Erikson, 34, planned to rob Cordova, after learning that she was growing medical marijuana on her property.Authorities say Dust was fatally shot and Erikson stabbed last weekend during a confrontation at Cordova's home.A legal expert said this raised the possibility that Cordova may be protected by Colorado's so-called Make My Day law, which states that a person can use deadly force to protect themself or others in their home.What Weld County Undersheriff Margie Martinez called a very complicated investigation began early Saturday when Erie police learned that Erikson had staggered into his Erie home with stab wounds. A roommate called 911.Erikson was taken by ambulance to Lafayette Samaritan Hospital in critical condition, Martinez said.Further investigation led police and sheriff's investigators to the discovery of Dust's body behind Cordova's Buffalo Road home midday Monday, Martinez said.That's when Cordova started crying and said: "I'm not going to lie. What would you do if someone broke into your house at 2:30 in the morning? I'm a single woman," the affidavit said.It goes on to state that she later uttered: "Oh my God. I didn't know that I killed him. They were coming for me. They were coming for me."Initially, investigators believed the Dust had been stabbed. But an autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound, Martinez said.When asked if Cordova reported the violent clash to authorities, Martinez replied,"I think that's still unclear."The affidavit states that an acquaintance of the two men said Dust and Erikson had planned on committing the robbery on June 8, but he didn't know if they'd followed through on the crime.According to the affidavit, the acquaintance recalled that two weeks earlier Erikson said he had been introduced to Cordova, and learned about the marijuana. Erikson was supposed to be doing handyman jobs around the woman's house.The acquaintance told authorities that Erikson and another cousin, Lacy Pittman, burglarized the house (late Friday or early Saturday.)He said Erikson knew that Cordova wouldn't be home.The acquaintance also said that Erikson came back with his other cousin, Kyle Dust, later that night, (early Saturday morning) to burglarize it again.This time Cordova was home.Bob Grant, a former Adams County district attorney, said Cordova could invoke the Make My Day law if the men broke into her home and she had reason to believe that a crime was going to be committed and that someone could get hurt.When asked if Cordova's legal defense could be undermined if she did not report the shooting and stabbing to police, Grant replied, "Ordinary citizens are not required to report a crime."A relative of the two men told 7NEWS she didn't want to talk about the burglary allegations.But the relative said it's ludicrous that Cordova might get away with homicide. The relative said family members are angry that Cordova apparently never called police to report the burglary, probably because she was growing marijuana.She said it was unconscionable that Dust's body lay in Cordova's back yard for two days before it was discovered.
