17th Judicial DA

Adams County Juvenile Convicted of Murder, Sentenced to Prison for Killing 17-Year-Old in Brighton


November 17, 2023

Brighton, CO — Today, District Attorney Brian Mason is announcing the Second-Degree Murder conviction and 30-year prison sentence for Jonah Graham, 17, following his guilty plea in Adams County District Court on November 16, 2023. 

On July 12, 2022, 17-year-old Josiah "JoJo" Gonzales was eating pizza with a friend in the pavilion of Ken Mitchell Park in Brighton when Jonah Graham approached with a friend of his own. Graham and Gonazles knew each other, and when Graham saw Gonzales, he called out to the victim. They engaged in a verbal confrontation that escalated to Graham drawing his handgun. The defendant fired three shots at Gonzales who later died from multiple gunshot wounds to the face and neck. 

Graham fled the park but was later apprehended by police and charged as an adult in Adams County District Court. On November 16, 2023, Graham pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder and was sentenced to 30 years in the Department of Corrections. 

"This was an outrageous, violent crime that took the life of a young, high school-aged victim and it was perpetrated by a fellow teenager -- who now must serve a 30-year prison sentence," said District Attorney Brian Mason. "We should all feel a sense of outrage over a crime like this. Gun violence -- particularly among young people -- is plaguing our community. I am truly saddened by the death of this young man, whose life was taken by a fellow classmate over what was surely an inconsequential dispute."

Deputy District Attorney Lauren Asher led the prosecution of this case. 



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District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.

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