Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Repeat Drunk Driver Sentenced to Life Plus 92 Years for Castle Rock DUI Murder

Judge Victoria Klingensmith cited Stephenson’s extensive DUI history plus his failure to show empathy for Lt. Col. Anderson’s family.

Image

Overview

  • On July 4, 2025, Judge Victoria Klingensmith sentenced 57-year-old Paul Stephenson to life plus 92 years after his first-degree murder conviction in the Aug. 4, 2024, DUI crash.
  • Prosecutors opted for murder charges over vehicular homicide, citing Stephenson’s long history of DUI convictions and his lack of remorse in Anderson’s death.
  • Stephenson had a blood alcohol level 2.5 times the legal limit when he drove 45 mph across a median and into a Castle Rock gas station, killing Lt. Col. Matt Anderson and injuring his children.
  • Stephenson’s defense team argued that his mental state and earlier efforts to plead guilty to lesser charges were not fully addressed and that he had requested new counsel.
  • Widow Allison Anderson said her family will carry lasting trauma from the crash and that the sentence provides some closure after a protracted trial.