Kenneth Piper Found Guilty of 2nd Degree Murder

Yesterday, a jury found Kenneth Piper guilty of murder in the second degree, a class two felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a drug petty offense, following a seven-day trial.

On the evening of October 17th, Loveland Police officers responded to an apartment after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found that Justin Boothe had been shot and killed by his uncle, Kenneth Piper. Mr. Piper was then charged with murder in the first degree, after deliberation, which also included the charge of murder in the second degree.

The trial team, led by prosecutors Matthew Pring and Michael Mangione, laid out evidence that showed Mr. Piper had fired two shots, and the victim, Justin Boothe, posed no threat to Mr. Piper. The prosecution argued that Mr. Piper’s actions constituted murder, while the defense argued they were in self-defense, or the use of deadly force against an intruder.

The jury was given the option of guilty of first-degree murder, the lesser charge of second-degree murder, or not guilty of either. Ultimately, the jury found Mr. Piper guilty and did not believe either self-defense or defense of an intruder was applicable.  They agreed with the prosecution that Mr. Piper was responsible for murdering Justin Boothe.

Sentencing for Mr. Piper will be October 29th at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4B.

The final sentence is ultimately up to the Court; however, Mr. Piper could face the following penalty ranges. Up to 48 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for murder in the second degree, and a fine of $100 for a drug petty offense.

“I am incredibly proud of our trial team for fighting for Justin and his family,” said DA Gordon McLaughlin. “Several elements of this case created complications that they had to navigate to present the jury a clear picture of the crime that occurred. They worked incredibly hard to hold Mr. Piper accountable, and this is a great result for justice and for his family.”