Serving life behind bars, a convicted murderer had three years added to his sentence last week after he pleaded guilty to charges in a failed jailbreak.
A public defense attorney had planned to argue a suppression motion during criminal proceedings on Friday, June 12, but instead, Aric Miera, 40, of Mancos, pleaded guilty to attempted escape.
On Nov. 29, prosecutors said Miera attempted to pry open a window at the Montezuma County jail using a bar removed from a bed. As a result of the plea agreement, the court added three years consecutive to Miera's life without parole sentence.
"This was dangerous conduct," said District Court Judge Todd Plewe.
Last month, a court upheld Miera's murder conviction in the 2005 shooting death of Cortez attorney Richard Luhman. Representing Miera's wife in a divorce case, Luhman was shot four times in the chest.
Miera reportedly rushed into his ex-wife's lawyer's office on W. First Street, forced his way past a secretary and killed the 62-year-old attorney with a .32-caliber pistol on March 4, 2005. Miera led police on a two-hour manhunt before being arrested on County Road L.
This month, prosecutors opted not to proceed with escape charges against a co-defendant in the attempted jailbreak.
District Attorney Will Furse said a private company would monitor Skylan Brassil, 22, of Mancos, while he submitted to sobriety testing and mental health treatment. Furse added a felony charge of escape could be prosecuted at a later date if Brassil failed to comply.
According to authorities, Brassil helped Miera try to escape the Montezuma County jail last fall.