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Man Pleads Guilty In Douglas County Double Murder Case

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4)- A man accused in the murder of a woman and her brother-in-law in Douglas County pleaded guilty on Friday.

Micah Woody pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder at the Douglas County Justice Center. As part of the plea agreement he was immediately sentenced to 48 years in prison. The judge also dismissed the other counts against him in exchange for his testimony against the other three defendants in the case.

The bodies of Amara Wells and Robert Rafferty were found inside his home near Castle Rock in February 2011. Wells was living there while she was going through a divorce.

Bob Rafferty and Amara Wells
Bob Rafferty and Amara Wells (credit: CBS)

Wells' estranged husband, Christopher Wells, was arrested on charges he planned their killings from behind bars. He was in jail at the time they were murdered. Prosecutors maintain that Wells coerced his friend, Woody, 30, to carry out the gruesome crime with Matthew Plake and Josiah Sher.

christopher-wells
Christopher Wells (credit: Douglas County Sheriff)

Prosecutors claim Woody purchased the gun, gave it to Sher to carry out the crimes while Plake waited outside in the car.

matthew-plake
Matthew Plake (credit: Douglas County Sheriff)

Wells and Rafferty were both shot and stabbed in the neck. Prosecutors claim Wells' young daughter woke up when she heard her mother screaming. She saw Sher attacking Rafferty and then ran to a neighbor's house to call 911.

josiah-sher
Josiah Sher (credit: Douglas County Sheriff)

Rafferty's wife, Wells' sister, was also an intended target that night.
Tammy Rafferty was out of town at the time.

She spoke in court Friday, "What was planned was unfathomable to me. That someone thought it would be appropriate to take children's parents from them. I pray for my family. I also pray for Micah Woody's family. His children will never feel what my children feel for their father. His children will hang their heads in disgrace for what he did."

Amara Wells' family also spoke in court.

"She didn't deserve to be murdered. Had he (Woody) made a call to police and told them what was coming down, we wouldn't be here. He could have been a hero. The difference between being a hero and a criminal was one phone call," said Harry Walter.

Woody also spoke in court. He said there was no excuse for his actions. At the time he was separated from his wife and children. Woody said he was using drugs and alcohol and that clouded his judgement. He told the court he never thought the murder plot would be carried out.

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