Adams County Defendant Convicted of Murdering King Soopers Distribution Center Supervisor in Broad Daylight, Outside Victim's Workplace
July 27, 2023
Brighton, CO — Today, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason is announcing the First-Degree Murder conviction of Michael Poydras, 32, following a two-week jury trial in Adams County District Court.
On October 20, 2021, the Aurora Police Department was called to 1700 N. Tower Road in response to a shooting that had just occurred. When they arrived, they located a number of spent shell casings and a vehicle that had crashed nearby. Inside they found a man who was suffering from several gunshot wounds. The victim, Ryan Dillard, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance video from a nearby location within the industrial park where this shooting occurred. The video showed a man, dressed in all black, lying in wait for a vehicle to pass. As the vehicle approached, the individual appeared from behind a sign and began to run in the direction of the car. The man dressed in all black opened fire on the vehicle as the driver attempted to exit the area. The shooting occurred at 9:17am on October 20, 2021.
Dillard was hired on October 4, 2021, to replace a supervisor at the King Soopers Distribution Center at 1861 Tower Road in the Adams County portion of Aurora. As Dillard was transitioning into his new role, it came to light that some of the employees of the facility were running a payroll scheme. Michael Poydras previously worked at the distribution center. At the time of Dillard's hiring, Poydras was still on the payroll as part of the scheme but no longer worked for King Soopers. On the morning of October 21, 2021, Poydras, dressed in all black, hid behind a sign on the property and ambushed Dillard as he drove by. Poydras opened fire on Dillard's vehicle and fled the scene.
On July 21, 2023, an Adams County Jury convicted Poydras of the following charge:
On July 27, 2023, an Adams County District Court Judge sentenced Poydras to Life Without the Possibility of Parole.
"This was a cold and calculated murder, committed in broad daylight for all to see,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “Mr. Poydras murdered a supervisor to keep a payroll scheme he was benefiting from in operation. I’m grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation and my team at the DA’s Office for securing justice in this heinous case."
The case against Jerrelle Smith, Poydras' co-defendant, is still pending in Adams County District Court. Case number 2022CR001524 is set for a Bond Hearing on July 28, 2023, in Division Q.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Alex Baker and Senior Deputy District Attorney Danny Paulson 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.
Go Back On October 20, 2021, the Aurora Police Department was called to 1700 N. Tower Road in response to a shooting that had just occurred. When they arrived, they located a number of spent shell casings and a vehicle that had crashed nearby. Inside they found a man who was suffering from several gunshot wounds. The victim, Ryan Dillard, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance video from a nearby location within the industrial park where this shooting occurred. The video showed a man, dressed in all black, lying in wait for a vehicle to pass. As the vehicle approached, the individual appeared from behind a sign and began to run in the direction of the car. The man dressed in all black opened fire on the vehicle as the driver attempted to exit the area. The shooting occurred at 9:17am on October 20, 2021.
Dillard was hired on October 4, 2021, to replace a supervisor at the King Soopers Distribution Center at 1861 Tower Road in the Adams County portion of Aurora. As Dillard was transitioning into his new role, it came to light that some of the employees of the facility were running a payroll scheme. Michael Poydras previously worked at the distribution center. At the time of Dillard's hiring, Poydras was still on the payroll as part of the scheme but no longer worked for King Soopers. On the morning of October 21, 2021, Poydras, dressed in all black, hid behind a sign on the property and ambushed Dillard as he drove by. Poydras opened fire on Dillard's vehicle and fled the scene.
On July 21, 2023, an Adams County Jury convicted Poydras of the following charge:
- First-Degree Murder (F1)
"This was a cold and calculated murder, committed in broad daylight for all to see,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “Mr. Poydras murdered a supervisor to keep a payroll scheme he was benefiting from in operation. I’m grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation and my team at the DA’s Office for securing justice in this heinous case."
The case against Jerrelle Smith, Poydras' co-defendant, is still pending in Adams County District Court. Case number 2022CR001524 is set for a Bond Hearing on July 28, 2023, in Division Q.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Alex Baker and Senior Deputy District Attorney Danny Paulson led the prosecution of this case.
# # #
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.