‘POOR CHOICES’

Denver Man Found Guilty of Gunning Down a Woman Over Dog Poop

Michael Close tried to plead insanity after he used an AK-47 to murder 21-year-old Isabella Thallas as she took her dog for a bathroom break.

Tears swept a Denver courtroom Thursday as a jury read their verdict in a shocking 2020 case: Michael Close was guilty of murdering Isabella Thallas, 21, and attempting to murder her boyfriend Darian Simon as the couple walked their dog past his apartment. The jury spent less than a day deliberating, finding that Close, 38, knew what he was doing when he pulled an AK-47 on the pair for allowing their dog to poop outside his apartment. Close, who had reportedly taken the weapon from a police sergeant friend, tried to plead insanity. He reportedly also wept as the verdict was read out. “We’ve been waiting 2½ years for this day,” Thallas’ mom, Ana Thallas, told The Denver Post through tears. “There is no justice in this,” Thallas’ father, Joshua Thallas, added, saying nothing would take away the monumental loss caused by Close’s “poor choices.” Close will be sentenced on Nov. 4.