Man fatally shoots wife a day before divorce in 'calculated murder plot' before claiming self-defense

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

CENTENNIAL, COLORADO: A Colorado man was found guilty of the murder of his wife. David Lechner, 46, shot his wife, Tracy Lechner, to death in her garage one day before the day of their scheduled divorce.

District Court Judge Jacob Edson sentenced Lechner to life in prison with no possibility of parole, Colorado 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said in a report. 

David Lechner fatally shot his wife in her garage

Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of shots fired at a home on South Geneva Way on March 30, 2023. When they arrived, they found the body of Tracy Lechner on the garage floor, next to her car. According to investigators, Lechner had been shot multiple times and her death was ruled a homicide.

Prosecutors claim that many neighbors heard the gunshots. According to one witness, David Lechner was seen firing at his wife while on top of her, then he fled in the direction of his car, True Crime Daily reports. The witness tried to stop Lechner by ramming his rental truck into the side of Lechner's car. Lechner was arrested later without any incident.  

Lechner's lawyers claimed that he shot his wife in self-defense. They maintained that he "only went to confront Tracy in her garage in an attempt to convince her not to go forward with the divorce."

David Lechner planned his wife Tracy's murder

Investigators say that a few days before the shooting Lechner had bought a "getaway car" under a fake name. He also purchased gloves, duct tape, zip ties, a tarp, and a GPS tracking device. According to reports, Lechner had a gun and taser when he confronted his wife.

Tracy's family members allegedly read impact statements during the sentencing and referred to her as a "supermom" to her two children. Tracy's father and his wife are now raising her children. It is reported that not a single member of the defendant's family attended the trial.

Attorney Tory Reavis described Lechner's crimes as "calculated murder plot to avoid a divorce and have sole custody of his children." The defendant was also found guilty by the jury of attempted kidnapping and unlawful stun gun use. 

Lechner received a sentence of three years with two years of mandatory parole for the attempted kidnapping and stun gun charges, KMGH-TV reports.