Man Sentenced To 40 Years For Girlfriend's Murder

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — A Morrison man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Julene Isaacson, in 2018, the First Judicial District Attorney's office announced Monday. The sentencing hearing was held Dec. 20.

Jerald Arthur Cross, 64, lived with Isaacson, 61, at 5288 Pintail Court in Morrison. Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff's office were called to the home Oct. 7, 2018, and found Isaacson dead. She had been shot twice in the head, the DA's office said.

Isaacson was on the floor, up against a couch, surrounded by an art project for students at the elementary school where she taught, the DA's office said.

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Isaacson had told family and friends that Cross had been physical with her and that she had an exit strategy to leave the relationship, authorities said. She wanted to wait until the end of the school term to lessen the impact on her students.

Cross said that he committed the murder because he couldn’t give her up, the DA's office said.

Cross was originally charged with first-degree murder. Following his trial in November, the jury convicted him of the less-included charge of second-degree murder.