A Colorado woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of mandatory parole, for fatally stabbing her husband in a senior living facility back in 2024.
Kathy Lawton, 73, was sentenced on January 30, 2026. The verdict came after she was found guilty of second-degree murder in a two-day trial on December 16, 2025.
The woman had initially tried to blame her dead husband’s injuries on a fall. Deputy District Attorney Erik Walser requested a 32-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Walser noted that the defendant had also faced domestic violence assault charges for allegedly attacking her husband, Larry Lawton, in July 2025.
Those charges were later dismissed because Larry had been killed in November 2024, before the case could go to trial, the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
The woman reportedly stabbed her 85-year-old husband multiple times at the Bonaventure Assisted Living Center in Pueblo. After the incident, a “hysterical” Kathy Lawton notified staff members at the front desk that her husband had passed away after taking a deadly fall.
When the staff arrived at the crime scene, they found Larry with multiple stab wounds. A knife lay on a table nearby, People reported. The staff members dialled 911 and explained the situation to the dispatchers.
Paramedics pronounced Larry dead on the scene. Kathy, who was covered in blood, was then transported to the Pueblo Police Department for questioning. An officer informed that he could smell alcohol on her breath during the investigation.
“Lawton was observed to have been intoxicated at the time of the incident. Officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the apartment, and Ms. Lawton was taken into custody,” a press release from the DA’s office stated.
On the day of the incident, residents of the retirement home heard the couple fighting at around 4 p.m., according to court documents.
The woman was reportedly upset with her husband because he wasn’t recovering well from a recent back surgery. They were married for 40 years and spent their old age together at the facility.
Judicial District Attorney, Kala Beauvais, stated that the community deserves accountability in all cases, but “especially in cases where a vulnerable victim is targeted.”
“While no sentence can undo the harm caused by this defendant, today’s sentence affirms the District Attorney’s commitment to pursuing justice with diligence and resolve,” she noted.
A Pueblo judge sentenced 73-year-old Kathy Lawton to 20 years in prison for the second-degree murder of her husband at a retirement home in 2024. The court cited prior domestic violence, attempts to hide evidence, and the severity of the crime in delivering the sentence. pic.twitter.com/j4viNr95Pg
— FOX21 News (@FOX21News) January 30, 2026
In a statement to 11 News, the senior facility earlier stated that they take the safety of residents seriously. “The victim and his wife resided in independent living, a section of our community that is active adult retirement living and receives no healthcare services,” a spokesperson said.
“The altercation had occurred behind closed doors inside their apartment, and there were no witnesses. The alleged assailant remains incarcerated and will not be permitted to return to the community under any circumstances,” they continued.
“We will remain cooperative with the police investigation. We would like to request privacy and respect for our residents and staff at Bonaventure of Pueblo during this time,” the spokesperson added.
