What looked like routine jail paperwork turned out to be anything but.
Yaury Hill, 34, was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison after prosecutors say he tried to arrange the murder of his wife while locked up in the Arapahoe County jail. According to prosecutors, Hill tucked the alleged hit request into what appeared to be standard jail forms and offered cash to have her killed.
A news release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, as reported by the Denver Gazette, said a letter dated Oct. 21, 2024, laid out the woman’s address, her daily routine, and a promised payment for what Hill allegedly called "taking out the trash." The DA’s office said the woman already had multiple standing protection orders in place and had been a victim of domestic abuse.
How Prosecutors Say The Plot Unfolded
18th Judicial District Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Cole Plummer said Hill tried to bury the plan in bland-looking jail correspondence, using coded language to disguise what he wanted done. Plummer said "the defendant tried to disguise a murder plot inside what looked like an ordinary jail note," according to the Denver Gazette. Hill pleaded guilty on Feb. 6 and received his 40-year sentence Friday in Arapahoe County District Court.
Investigation And Interception
Investigators say Hill tried to throw them off by listing his cellmate as the sender of the note. That cover story fell apart quickly when they determined the named cellmate did not speak English, according to prosecutors.
Staff with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office intercepted the letter before it ever left the jail. Prosecutors credited that routine mail review with stopping the alleged plot before it could move beyond paper.
Courtroom Outcome And Legal Context
District Court Judge Jacob Edson presided over the case. The Colorado Judicial Branch lists Edson as a district court judge for the 18th Judicial District.
With Hill’s guilty plea and the 40-year sentence, prosecutors said the case shut down a dangerous attempt to silence a witness and target a victim who had active court-ordered protections.
The DA’s office framed the outcome as the result of a calculated scheme that was stopped by standard jail oversight, calling it a sharp reminder that everyday monitoring and victim protection measures can intersect in crucial ways to prevent violence.
