ARAPAHOE COUNTY – District Court Judge Joseph R. Whitfield has sentenced Ryan Scott Avery, 42, to 48 years in prison for murdering his mother inside her home back in 2021.
In June of 2021, Aurora police were dispatched to a house in the 1600 block of S. Granby Street. The victim’s daughter called to report she went inside the house and found her mother, Deborah Avery, 70, deceased in a chair located in the living room.
The autopsy revealed Avery had been shot three times—twice in the face and once in her chest. The investigation quickly focused on Avery’s son, Ryan, who lived at the same home in Aurora. According to the arrest affidavit, Ryan’s sister told authorities that she had recently taken control of her mom’s finances and believed Ryan did not approve of this action.
In Ryan’s bedroom upstairs, police investigators found an empty box for a .380 caliber handgun, the same type of gun connected with the shooting. Three .380 caliber bullet casings were also found at the scene.
.380 firearm recovered
When interviewed by detectives, Ryan denied having access to this type of firearm. However, when police secured a warrant for Avery’s car, they recovered a .380 Ruger pistol and .380 caliber ammunition. The rounds shared the same stamp as the fired shell casings recovered at the crime scene. The investigation also revealed the defendant used the same handgun to commit felony crimes of Attempted First-Degree Assault and Felony Menacing against separate victims that same weekend after the murder.
Ryan Avery was found guilty of committing the following offenses:
Second-Degree Murder – Heat of Passion
Attempted First-Degree Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Felony Menacing
Two violent crime sentence enhancers were also proven. He was sentenced this month to 48 years in the Department of Corrections.
“The defendant’s actions are unconscionable,” Senior Deputy DA Joel Zink said. “In an act of profound betrayal, Mr. Avery murdered his own mother as she sat in a recliner chair in the family room. I commend the Aurora Police Department and the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office for their diligent efforts in this case, which not only helped secure justice for Deborah, but also reinforced safety and accountability within our community.”
Avery was convicted following an 8-day jury trial.
“The overwhelming physical evidence recovered from Mr. Avery’s bedroom and car along with the initial analysis of the crime scene led investigators straight to Deborah’s killer,” Assistant DA Tom Byrnes said. “I hope this lengthy sentence brings some sense of closure and justice for Deborah’s friends and family.”
Ryan Avery
