Gypsum Teen Gets 7 Years in Youth Offender System for Second-Degree Murder

Jackson Davis was 14. He died from stab wounds sustained in a brawl at Second Street Park in Gypsum. His killer, 18-year-old Nefi Ezequiel Armijo Hernandez, is now facing seven years in the Colorado Youth Offender system.

That’s the deal. It’s not a life sentence. It’s not even a life in prison. It’s a negotiated exit strategy for a kid who killed another kid over a year ago.

Hernandez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Wednesday. The deal requires him to serve seven years. He gets credit for the more than two years he’s already spent incarcerated since the April 24, 2024, incident. That leaves him with fewer than five years, assuming Judge Rachel Olguin-Fresquez buys the deal.

She’s not obligated to.

“If, for whatever reason, I don’t follow through on the sentence that is stipulated by the parties, you would have the opportunity to withdraw your plea,” Olguin-Fresquez told Hernandez. “I’m not saying I won’t, I’m not saying I will.”

The uncertainty sits right on top of a community that watched a local teen die from injuries sustained just a few miles from their homes. Davis died in Denver on April 25, the day after the stabbing. The forensic pathologist confirmed the cause was the stab wounds sustained during the brawl. Simple. Brutal. Final.

But the legal reality is messier. Hernandez was a minor when charges were filed, though he was charged as an adult. That distinction triggers the Youthful Offender System — a "comprehensive model" for rehabilitation and re-entry, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections. It’s a four-phase process: orientation, institutional time, prerelease, and community supervision.

It’s designed to prepare individuals for successful re-entry while ensuring public safety. In practice, it often means less time behind bars than an adult would serve for the same crime.

Davis’ mother, Christy Davis, wasn’t happy with the compromise. She wrote a letter to the court expressing her frustration. She wanted first-degree murder. That was the initial charge. The plea deal drops all other charges, but only if the judge accepts the second-degree plea and the seven-year sentence.

“The court has received the letters indicating the concerns about the plea agreement,” Olguin-Fresquez said. “I need to make sure that I know whether this is the available sentence and whether or not I agree with it.”

District Attorney Heidi McCollum noted the specific considerations for cases where the defendant was a minor at filing but charged as an adult. Reduced sentences are a possibility. It’s a standard procedure, but it feels like a discount on a tragedy when you’re the one left holding the bag.

Now, the court waits. Olguin-Fresquez ordered a pre-sentence investigation report. It will take about six weeks to compile. That pushes the final decision out to July 22.

For the folks in Gypsum, this isn’t just about Hernandez. It’s about what we’re willing to give up for efficiency. We get a quick resolution. We avoid a long trial. We get a defined sentence range. But we also get a mother who feels the system blinked.

The bottom line? One teen gets roughly five more years in a specialized system. The other is gone. And the community is left waiting for a judge to decide if seven years was the right price for a second-degree plea.