Dad to be sentenced in disappearance, death of daughter (Aurora, Colorado)

Dad AARON THOMPSON is finally to be sentenced in the disappearance and presumed murder of his daughter. Dad had abducted the girl many years before from her mother in Michigan.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/21561948/detail.html

Aaron Thompson To Be Sentenced Tuesday
Father Convicted Of Child Abuse Resulting In Death
Deb Stanley, 7NEWS Producer

POSTED: 10:36 am MST November 9, 2009
UPDATED: 11:04 am MST November 9, 2009

AURORA, Colo. -- A father found guilty in September of child abuse resulting in death in the disappearance and presumed death of Aarone Thompson will be sentenced Tuesday.

Aaaron Thompson was found guilty on 31 counts ranging from conspiracy to commit child abuse, false reporting to authorities, concealing death, conspiracy to conceal death, child abuse resulting in injury and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The jury in September could not reach a unanimous decision on two counts -- abuse of a corpse and conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse -- so a mistrial was declared on those two charges.

Attorney Phil Cherner said the first three guilty charges alone will probably put Thompson in prison for the rest of his life.

Jurors told 7NEWS that they decided early on that Thompson was guilty of child abuse resulting in death.

"That was taken care of pretty quick," said Juror No. 2166, who did not wish to be identified. "I'd say it took two days."

Juror No. 2019 agreed -- Thompson killed his daughter, although prosecutors never said exactly how.

"The evidence was left very unclear and left for some interpretation. But overall, I had no issue with that," Juror No. 2019 said.

Prosecutors expressed relief over the mixed verdict, knowing that Thompson was found guilty of the most serious charges.

"It's one step closer for justice for Aarone. I think if you were ask that question to the police, to (Detective) Randy Hansen, I think they would say justice would be the day that they find her body," said prosecutor Bob Chappell.

Defense attorneys said after the trial they would appeal the verdict.

Thompson showed no emotion when the verdict was read in the packed Arapahoe County courtroom in September. Throughout the trial, he did not move nor speak.

"The members of this jury heard children testify about unspeakable abuses that they endured for many years in the Thompson household and about the hellish world that they woke up to every morning. And they heard about a little girl who spent much of her short life confined to a coat closet and who disappeared into thin air one morning and has never been heard from or seen from again, " said Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates.

Even though prosecutors believed Aarone was killed years ago -- perhaps in 2004 or earlier -- her body has never been found.

Thompson reported Aarone missing in November 2005, when she would have been 6, but prosecutors believe she may have died about two years earlier.

A lot of the testimony over the six-week trial came from the seven children who lived in the home with Thompson and his girlfriend, Shely Lowe. All but one of the children testified in person, saying they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of Thompson and Lowe.

The jury also heard more than 24 hours of video-recorded and audio-recorded testimony.

Thompson did not testify during the trial. His attorneys admit that Thompson lied about what happened to Aarone, but that he did not kill her. Defense attorneys blame Lowe for killing Aarone.

According to the charges, the jury found that Thompson was guilty of killing Aarone and covering her body, but found him not guilty of some of the child abuse charges resulting from the testimony of the older teens.