GOLDEN, Colo. – The family of a man who was brutally murdered in rural Jefferson County, Colorado, almost five years ago is expressing concern as one of the individuals involved in disposing of the victim’s dismembered body is being considered for parole just months after she was sentenced to six years in prison. 22-year-old Lila Atencio, who was 17 at the time of the crime, is scheduled to appear before the Colorado State Board of Parole on Wednesday, nearly five years after Joseph Brinson was shot to death at his rural Jefferson County home on Jan. 16, 2019.
Atencio, who was not present during the murder, had assisted two men in loading Brinson’s dismembered body into trash bags and then dumping the remains in a remote area of eastern Arapahoe County. While the other two perpetrators are serving life in prison and 46 years, the victim’s family is concerned that Atencio, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a crime and conspiring to tamper with a body, is not being held accountable for her actions.
The conflict between 28-year-old Brinson and his roommate, 26-year-old William Irvine, had been escalating in the winter of 2018. Tensions culminated in Irvine enlisting the help of Atencio and another individual to carry out the murder. Atencio later confessed to police that the group had purchased supplies from Home Depot to stage a marijuana grow operation at Brinson’s home but instead used the materials to prepare for the killing.
On the day of the murder, Irvine instructed the third individual to shoot Brinson with his own gun, which led to Brinson’s immediate death. His body was then dismembered in the basement of his home. Atencio was later summoned to help clean up and dispose of the remains, later going to an Applebee’s restaurant using Brinson’s credit card to pay for a meal.
Atencio cooperated with authorities, leading them to Brinson’s head and testifying against the other perpetrators during their trials. As part of a plea agreement, she was initially sentenced to serve two years of work-release and six years of probation. However, she violated the terms of her release, leading to a re-sentencing where she was given a six-year prison sentence. Due to pre-sentence confinement credit, Atencio is now eligible for parole after serving just over two years of her sentence.
The family of the victim, as well as the district attorney’s office, are concerned about Atencio’s potential release, citing her lack of remorse and accountability for her actions. Atencio’s aunt, Amy Frost, is actively lobbying against Atencio’s parole, arguing that someone capable of such heinous acts should not be set free so soon. Brinson’s family is grappling with the ongoing trauma of the murder and does not believe justice has been served with the possibility of Atencio’s early release.
The family members and their supporters plan to speak out at the parole hearing, aiming to prevent Atencio’s release and ensure that Brinson’s memory is honored by holding all involved parties accountable for their roles in his tragic death.