A 60-year-old Aurora man who admitted to killing his common-law wife inside their southeast Aurora apartment has been ordered to spend decades behind bars, capped with what amounts to the maximum prison term allowed for his murder conviction.
Phil Atchue was sentenced this week in Arapahoe County District Court to 48 years in prison for second-degree murder, plus a consecutive seven-year term for second-degree assault, in connection with a July 2025 shooting at the couple’s home in southeast Aurora, according to 9News.
Court records in case number 2025CR1780 show Atchue pleaded guilty on Feb. 23 to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault, according to dockets maintained by the Colorado Judicial Branch. The 48- and 7-year prison terms were part of that plea agreement, 9News reported.
Aurora police said Atchue called 911 from a bus stop near the 900 block of South Ivory Circle on July 6, 2025, telling dispatchers he had shot his partner the previous morning. Officers went to the apartment, where they found a firearm and a 61-year-old woman dead inside, according to Sentinel Colorado.
Prosecutors and court documents say Atchue told investigators he shot the woman at about 9:30 a.m. on the day of the killing and stayed inside the apartment until he finally called for help the next day. He also said he planned to kill himself afterward and told detectives he had recently lost his job and feared becoming homeless, adding that he was "an avid pot smoker" who expected to fail drug tests, according to 9News.
Sentence, statutes and parole eligibility
Under Colorado law, second-degree murder carries a sentencing range of 16 to 48 years. The 48-year term imposed on Atchue sits at the top of that statutory window, as outlined in the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Changes to the state corrections law mean that for crimes committed on or after Jan. 1, 2025, people convicted of second-degree murder are generally eligible for parole only after serving roughly 85 percent of their sentence, according to state parole policy summaries in the Colorado corrections code.
When police arrested Atchue in July 2025, they initially said they planned to seek first-degree murder charges. The case proceeded through the 18th Judicial District and ultimately was resolved through a plea agreement, according to local reporting and court listings. The Arapahoe County coroner identified the victim as a 61-year-old woman, and the district attorney’s office handled charging decisions. Family statements were not immediately available.
