On April 22, 2024, District Court Judge Jacob Edson sentenced David Samuel Lechner, 46, to life in prison with no possibility of parole for murdering his wife in her garage last year.
Just after 8 a.m. on March 30, 2023, deputies with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a shooting call at a home in the 5200 Block of S. Geneva Way in Centennial. When deputies arrived on scene, they found a woman, later identified as Tracy Lechner, deceased on the garage floor next to her SUV. An autopsy report ruled her death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds.
In addition to multiple neighbors hearing gunshots, one witness reported seeing Lechner standing over his wife, pulling the trigger at point blank range and then running to his getaway car. In an attempt to stop Lechner from fleeing, the witness rammed his Rental Truck into the side of Lechner’s car. Deputies were eventually able to arrest Lechner without incident down the street.
Lechner’s counsel argued the shooting was self-defense and claimed he only went to confront Tracy in her garage in an attempt to convince her not to go forward with the divorce. However, the investigation revealed in the days leading up to Tracy’s murder, Lechner bought a getaway car under a false name, purchased a GPS tracking unit, and bought gloves, duct tape, zip ties and a tarp. He also showed up armed with a taser and a gun on the morning he confronted Tracy.
“This was not a case of self-defense,” Deputy DA Tory Reavis said. “This was a calculated murder plot to avoid a divorce and have sole custody of his children. The evidence shows he incapacitated Tracy with a stun gun and then shot her three times, including once in the head.”
After approximately 4 hours of deliberation, a jury found Lechner guilty of the following offenses:
First-Degree Murder after Deliberation
Attempted Kidnapping
Illegal Use of a Stun Gun
“This heinous murder shocked the community and Mr. Lechner deserves to spend every last minute of his life behind bars,” District Attorney John Kellner said.
Under Colorado law, a First-Degree Murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole.
“While this conviction ensures a murderer will never be able to walk free, no sentence can replace the life he took that day,” Chief Deputy DA Chris Gallo said. “Two children are now growing up without their mother while their father sits behind bars. I can only hope this sentence brings some closure to Tracy’s family.”
