Gary Lee Nickal, 40, was convicted by a Jefferson County jury May 10 for shooting his wife twice with a pump-action shotgun in 2016, killing her.

Nickal was sentenced to life in prison by Chief Judge Philip McNulty.

Jurors deliberated for three hours before rejecting Nickal’s insanity defense and returning the guilty verdict in the murder of 35-year-old Molly Nickal.

Westminster Police were called to 5848 W. 9th Place on April 28, 2016 where they found Molly Nickal deceased. According to police, Nickal ambushed and shot her to death, including one time in the head, while she was in the bathroom early that morning.

Nickal and the couple’s three small children were at the house when police arrived.

According to court records, Molly had contacted an attorney to begin the process of having Gary served with divorce papers and getting sole custody of the children two days before she was murdered.

The evidence at trial showed that the two had a difficult relationship and she had left him several times, claiming he was emotionally abusive and volatile.

They had been separated for several months until their third child was born in February of 2016.

Molly then went back to him for financial reason.

“This is such a tragedy. Molly was drawn back to him again and again with hope that it would be different, that he would change,” Jefferson County District Attorney Pete Weir said. “Mr. Nickal deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.”