A man who previously served 17 years in prison for a Denver murder was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting a Golden man last year, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

William Taft, 50, was convicted of charges including first-degree murder and attempted  first-degree murder for the Golden shooting.

The shooting killed 40-year-old Michael Bryan on Oct. 24, 2020, at 5080 McIntyre St. in Golden.

“Michael was an amazing person and is missed and loved by many,” his wife, Leah Bryan, said during a sentencing hearing Friday. “Our hearts are broken without him. But he will always live on within us and through his son.”

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Before the shooting, Taft, Bryan and a surviving victim were fighting outside of a Golden house, police said. Surveillance footage showed Bryan and the surviving victim rolling on the ground in a scuffle when Taft stood over them and fired a gunshot.

Police said Taft intended to shoot the surviving victim but mistakenly shot Bryan. Bryan was shot in the face and left lying on the ground. Responding deputies took Bryan to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

In 1990, Taft plead guilty to a second-degree murder in Denver and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. He was released on parole in 2007 then sentenced to another two years in prison in 2013 after pleading guilty to possession of an explosive/incendiary device, officials said. 

“The defendant’s violent history has now resulted in two murders,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Brady. “Our community is a safer and healthier place now that he is guaranteed to spend the rest of his life in prison.”