Jury convicts Tanner Flores of killing ex-girlfriend Ashley Doolittle; he faces life in prison

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. – A jury on Wednesday convicted 19-year-old Tanner Flores of killing his ex-girlfriend, Ashley Doolittle, and dumping her body on the Western Slope in June 2016.

Flores faces life in prison after he was convicted on first-degree murder after deliberation, felony murder and second-degree kidnapping charges by the Larimer County. He is set to be sentenced Thursday.

The jury deliberated Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning before returning the verdict.

Flores, of Berthoud, was portrayed by prosecutors as jealous after he and Doolittle broke up during the trial. Prosecutors say he took his father’s gun, asked Doolittle to meet near Carter Lake, and shot her.

But his lawyers had argued Flores didn’t plan to kill her ahead of time.

Flores then drove her body out to near Collbran, on the Western Slope, where he dumped it. But he also told the jury that Doolittle’s murder was not premeditated.

Flores won’t face the death penalty because prosecutors didn’t declare ahead of the trial they would seek it, which is a requirement in Colorado.

He is set to be sentenced at 2 p.m. Thursday, and faces life in prison, plus additional possible time on the kidnapping conviction.