Jorge Meza-Alarcon was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of 18-year-old Annabelle Floren-Wyant. The sentence came months after a jury acquitted him of murder; Floren-Wyant died at his home north of Falcon in August 2024.
Judge Dennis McGuire accepted the sentencing agreement at the El Paso County hearing, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. The 10-year term does not include time Meza-Alarcon has already served. Prosecutors had sought a first-degree murder conviction, but in June the jury acquitted him of first- and second-degree murder, leaving manslaughter as the top available charge.
Floren-Wyant died in the early morning of Aug. 1, 2024, at Meza-Alarcon's residence in the 13000 block of Halleluiah Trail in unincorporated El Paso County. The Gazette reported that Meza-Alarcon, then 26, told police he and Floren-Wyant had arranged to meet so she could collect payment for sex. He said the encounter turned physical; the account described her death as following a jiujitsu chokehold during the altercation.
How the Case Reached a Plea
Senior Deputy District Attorney Brien Cecil said the jury's verdict left manslaughter as the top charge, after which prosecutors and the defense negotiated the resolution, according to the Gazette. Cecil said the jury “left us with manslaughter as the top charge.”
Meza-Alarcon admitted that his actions caused Floren-Wyant's death and expressed remorse to her family and friends during the hearing, the report states. His parents were present in the courtroom, and the case record notes he has three young children, as reported by The Gazette.
A Hearing Dominated by Grief
More than a half-dozen loved ones gave victim-impact statements, with the first two hours of the hearing focused on their memories of Floren-Wyant, according to the Gazette. Her friend and honorary sister, Kylea Shipley, described her as “a vibrant soul unlike anyone I'd ever met.”
Floren-Wyant's great-aunt, Kathleen Richmond, told the court that they spoke often, sometimes multiple times a day by phone and text. Other speakers said Floren-Wyant had planned to be baptized and reconnect with her faith before her death, the Gazette reported.
Victim-Impact Statements in Colorado
Colorado's Crime Victim Rights brochure says district attorneys must provide victims an opportunity to prepare a victim-impact statement for the court, according to the Colorado Department of Public Safety. That general procedure does not establish the legal status of each loved one who spoke at this hearing.
Judge McGuire told those gathered that no sentence could bring Floren-Wyant back or make her loved ones whole, and described the crime as defying logic, according to the Gazette.
Other Cases Still Pending
Sentencing in two other pending cases against Meza-Alarcon was continued until Dec. 21, according to The Gazette. One case involves a 2023 assault charge; the other concerns an animal cruelty charge tied to a 2024 incident involving the killing of a dog.
The Gazette also reported that a friend told police he dropped Floren-Wyant at Meza-Alarcon's address after the two arranged to meet through social media. The Dec. 21 hearing is expected to address the other charges separately from the manslaughter sentence.
