Weld County

District Attorney’s Office

Nineteenth Judicial District Kenneth R. Buck – District Attorney

PRESS RELEASE
Date: 01/06/11
Contact: Jennifer Finch, (970) 356-4010 ext. 4702
Re: 09CR2179 and 10CR893

GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO 176 YEARS TO LIFE FOR THE

KIDNAPPING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A MURDER WITNESS
GREELEY, Colo. – Christian Hanson (DOB 10/18/1988) was sentenced today to 176 years to life in prison for
crimes he committed against a witness in a murder case. Hanson, in an attempt to prevent a woman from testifying
in a case where a Greeley man was beaten to death with a broken broom handle, was found guilty November 10,
2010, of six felony counts including:

Case 09CR2179
• Second Degree Kidnapping, a class two felony
• Second Degree Kidnapping, a class two felony
• Sexual Assault, a class two felony
• Sexual Assault, a class two felony

Case 10CR893
• Conspiracy to Committee First Degree Murder – After Deliberation, a class two felony
• Solicitation of First Degree Murder – After Deliberation, a class two felony

According to Greeley Police Detectives, on December 7, 2009, Hanson kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman
who was a witness to a gang-related murder earlier that year. Prosecutors argued that the sexual assault was an
attempt by Hanson to prevent the woman from testifying in the murder trial which was scheduled to begin
November 29, 2010. Following the assault, the victim identified Hanson from a photo line-up. Hanson was arrested
on December 10, 2009.

While in custody at the Weld County jail, officers learned that Hanson asked fellow gang-member Jesse Rodriguez
(DOB 10/20/1989) to arrange for the sexual assault victim to be killed. Rodriguez allegedly met with
an undercover officer to arrange the murder. Rodriquez pled guilty on December 22, 2010, to Conspiracy to
Commit First Degree Murder – After Deliberation, a class two felony. He will be sentenced on February 14, 2011,
at 9:30 a.m.

Jesse Arispe (DOB 10/18/1989), also of Greeley, was allegedly with Hanson during the kidnapping and sexual
assault. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 20, 2011, for a preliminary hearing.

Hanson was sentenced to 48 years for the kidnapping conviction, 48 to life for the sexual assault conviction, 40
years for the conspiracy to commit murder conviction and 40 years for the solicitation of murder conviction; all four
sentences will run consecutive to each other totaling 176 years to life.

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Post Office Box 1167 • 915 Tenth Street • Greeley, CO 80632 • (970) 356-4010 • FAX (970) 352-8023

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