Murder suspect Debra Gaylyn Riddle has been offered a plea deal, and has until Jan. 10 to decide to accept it or go to trial.
Riddle faces a second-degree murder charge for the death of her common-law husband, David Allen Mooney, at a Road 37 residence west of Mancos. He was found dead July 4.
At a hearing Monday, 22nd Judicial District Deputy Attorney Matt Margeson informed District Court Judge Todd Plewe that a plea bargain has been offered. The details of the agreement were not released.
On Sept. 16, Riddle waived her right to a preliminary hearing in exchange for a DA agreement to not file a first degree murder charge in the case. She has not entered a plea in the case.
Riddle’s public defender, Kathryn Polonsky, requested extended time to confer with her client and investigate the facts and circumstances of the case before a plea hearing. By taking the time upfront, she said it would help alleviate the possible need for continuances later on. Plewe agreed to the request.
Mooney, a 60-year-old man from Arizona, was found dead at the Road 37 residence just west of Mancos on the morning of July 4, according to the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office. According to court documents, he had been shot in the head.
Mooney has a residence in Arizona, but he had been working in the area as a truck driver for the summer.
On July 16, Riddle was arrested by the Montezuma County Sheriff and charged with second-degree murder of Mooney. She remains in custody at the Montezuma County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.
