A Colorado resident, David Weingarten, 31, has been sentenced to two life terms for the murder of his wife, Lizet Salinas Mijanos, 26, and their 8-month-old son, Georgie Weingarten. The sentencing came a day after Weingarten was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. The tragic incident occurred while their young daughter was present in the house.
The Colorado Springs Police Department responded to a 911 call from Weingarten, who reported a “medical emergency” at his residence on Heather Glen Drive around 6:55 p.m. on February 1. Upon arrival, Weingarten confessed to the officers that he had killed his wife and son after experiencing auditory hallucinations. He was quoted as saying, “I just shot my wife and son. I’ve been feeling not good lately and something just came over me. I don’t know what happened. I’ve been hearing things, and I don’t know what’s going on. My wife and son are both dead I believe.”
Upon entering the house, the officers discovered the bodies of Lizet and Georgie, both of whom had suffered gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. The CSPD Violent Crimes Unit was then called in to take over the investigation, and Weingarten was taken into custody.
During the interrogation, Weingarten revealed that his son’s crying had been causing him anxiety and he had been having “bad thoughts.” He confessed to retrieving a gun from his car and pacing around his home before deciding to shoot his wife. He also admitted to intentionally shooting his son, stating that the infant’s crying had made him anxious.
The couple also had a 2-year-old daughter who was unharmed during the incident. The child has since been placed in the custody of Lizet Mijanos’ sister, Lizbeth Salinas. Salinas expressed her intention to raise the girl as her own and shared that she has received significant support from her family, community, and church. She also shared fond memories of her sister, describing her as a joyful person who aspired to be a good mother.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist Salinas with the expenses of raising her niece.