Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith is a killer from Colorado who has been convicted of two murders and still faces trial for two more
According to court documents Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith would fatally stab two homeless men: Jesse Shafer, 27, and Scott Davenport, 61, in separate attacks. There has been no motive for the attacks
While awaiting trial for the double murder Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith would allegedly murder his cellmate inside of a Denver jail less than twenty four hours after being arrested.
To top it off Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith has also been names as a suspect with the murder of Meg Eberhart. The case is being held as they try to determine how Meg Eberhart died
For the murders of the two homeless men Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith would be convicted and sentenced to eighty years in prison
Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith Case
A Colorado judge on Monday sentenced a man who killed two people in Aurora in two separate attacks on a single day last year to 80 years in prison.
The sentencing took place shortly after Ricky Roybal Smith pleaded guilty to the killings of Jesse Shafer, 27, and Scott Davenport, 61 in June. Both men, who police described as being homeless, were stabbed to death in an area around East Colfax Avenue. One was killed in an alley and another was killed in a bus shelter.
Smith, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.
Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason called the murders “acts of extreme violence.”
“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the lives he took and for the fear and trauma he inflicted on our community,” Mason said in a prepared statement.
Smith also faces murder charges in a separate Colorado case in which he is accused of killing his cellmate in the Denver Jail. Vincent Chacon, 34, was killed in the jail on June 30. A case was also recently filed against Smith in the killing of Margaret Eberhart in 2022 in Arapahoe County. She was attacked outside of the Englewood Civic Center after she got out of a rideshare vehicle and died a few days afterwards.
Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith News
A Colorado man already charged with killing three while on parole last year is now charged with killing a woman in Englewood in 2022.
Prosecutors in Arapahoe County quietly filed a second-degree murder charge against Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith late last week. 9NEWS Investigates brought renewed attention to the case last year during a series of reports that outlined problems with how the state assesses the risk levels of thousands of parolees.
Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith was on parole at the time of the 2022 death as well. His assessment scores contained numerous errors, according to the 9NEWS Investigates analysis.
The victim, Meg Eberhart, was found unconscious at the Englewood light rail station just south of West Hampden Avenue on June 22, 2022. She died days later.
The case was initially stymied by the fact that while police believed her death to be a homicide, the coroner was unable to pinpoint an official cause of death.
Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith ran from the scene, according to Englewood police records, and had to be tased prior to his arrest.
Internal parole records obtained by 9NEWS Investigates show Englewood Police officers went as far as to recommend a murder charge against Roybal-Smith weeks after the Eberhart death, but prosecutors in Arapahoe County elected not to charge due, in no small part, to the “undetermined” cause of death.
Roybal-Smith was charged, however, with threatening customers inside an Englewood Walmart just one day prior to the light rail incident. He ended up receiving a four-year prison sentence for the crime.
That led him once again to be eligible for parole starting in 2025. Upon release, the Colorado Department of Corrections once again erred on his assessment scores.
In June, Aurora Police say Roybal-Smith attacked and repeatedly stabbed Scott Davenport and Jesse Shafer on East Colfax Avenue.
He is also charged with killing his cellmate inside the Denver jail a little more than 24 hours later.
Meg Eberhart’s daughter, Zada Veniegas, told investigative reporter Chris Vanderveen she was relieved to hear the news that prosecutors finally believe her mother’s death was a crime.
“At least the fact of what he did is being acknowledged on the legal end of things,” she said. “I think it’s important that she wasn’t forgotten.”
Veniegas was estranged from her mother at the time of her death, but was hoping to reconnect with her when she received word from a hospital that her mom was likely to die.
This crime, she said, robbed her of that opportunity. Instead of reconnecting, she and other family members were summoned to the hospital where Eberhart was on life support.
They ultimately had to make the decision to take that away.
“She had absolutely no brain activity. I didn’t even get to hear her voice one last time,” she said.
Englewood police released a statement after the charges were filed.
“The Englewood Police Department has worked tirelessly for the past three years to seek answers and closure in this complex case,” the department said in the statement. “This outcome reflects the unwavering dedication of our entire Detectives Bureau, who committed countless hours to carefully building a thorough case. We are equally grateful for the strong partnerships and support of the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the forensic professionals at the state laboratory.
Their combined expertise and persistence were instrumental in reaching this point. Justice delayed is not justice denied. This case underscores the perseverance and professionalism of the men and women of the Englewood Police Department and our partner agencies. Most importantly, it represents our continued commitment to seeking justice for victims and their families and to keeping our community safe.”
Colorado parolee accused of killing 3 now charged in 4th murder | 9news.com
