Aidan Zellmer, now 17, has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years for the brutal murder of 10-year-old Kiaya Campbell in Brighton, Colorado.
The crime occurred in 2017, when Zellmer was just 15. He and Kiaya, his step-sister through their parents’ relationship, had left home to go to a nearby shopping center. Tragically, Zellmer attacked Kiaya, beating her with a metal pipe and leaving her in a ravine where her body was found the next day.
The autopsy revealed severe head injuries and evidence of sexual assault, though those charges were dropped in a plea deal. Zellmer pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was tried as an adult.
“This is the most violent act I’ve seen by someone so young,” said District Attorney Dave Young. Kiaya’s family shared emotional statements in court, vowing she would never be forgotten.
