Man sentenced to life for Christmas Day murder

DENVER — A man accused of killing another man in northeast Denver on Christmas Day 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 

Dydrick Martin, 27, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Oct. 11 for shooting and killing 25-year-old Torrese “T.J.” Gill Jr. on the evening of Dec. 25, 2022.

According to an arrest affidavit, police were called to a home in the 4800 block of Crown Boulevard in the Montbello neighborhood just before 6 p.m. that day.

When officers arrived, they found Gill suffering from a gunshot wound to his neck, the affidavit says. He was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later. 

In videotaped interviews, three witnesses said Martin and Gill had known each other for several years, the affidavit says. The witnesses said the two had a falling out due to Gill having a relationship with a person who was not identified in the affidavit. The witnesses said Martin had made claims that he was going to kill Gill, the affidavit says.

Witnesses told police that Martin was not allowed to be at the Crown Boulevard house due to his and Gill’s problems, the affidavit says. Martin and an unidentified person were at the Crown Boulevard address to pick up Christmas presents, according to the affidavit.

Martin and the other person entered the Crown Boulevard home just as Gill was coming down the stairs near the front door, the affidavit says. A witness said Gill and Martin began arguing, which escalated to fighting. Martin then pulled a handgun from his jacket, and he and Gill began fighting over the gun, ending up on the ground, the affidavit says. The gun fired, hitting Gill in the neck.

Martin then got up and ran out of the home, the affidavit states.

After more than three months on the run, Martin was taken into custody the following April on suspicion of first-degree murder.

On Oct. 11, a Denver jury found him guilty of that charge.