Colorado man gets 224 years for stabbing UCCS professor to death

A Colorado man who mocked the court, skipped his own sentencing and forced a judge to order that he be brought in by any means necessary now faces the rest of his life behind bars.

Caesar Lorenzo Wilson, 54, was sentenced to 224 years in prison for the 2024 murder of University of Colorado Colorado Springs professor Haleh Abghari. Prosecutors said the killing began as a burglary and ended in a brutal stabbing inside her home.

The sentencing capped a case marked by defiance and disturbing behavior.

Wilson initially refused to appear in court and declined transport from jail. That prompted a judge to issue a rare warrant authorizing authorities to use force to bring him in.

Even when he appeared, he showed little remorse. At one point, he asked his attorneys, "Do I have to hear this?" during the hearing.

Prosecutors revealed chilling remarks from a recorded jail phone call. Wilson allegedly told his mother he would bring Abghari back to life and kill her again because he believed he had been treated unfairly. The comments showed his complete disregard for human life.

Tiana Longmire, a former UCCS student of Abghari's, called those comments "mind-boggling." She said they showed her what "true evil" looked like.

The case dates to August 7, 2024, when Colorado Springs police responded to a home on Caddy Point and found Abghari, 54, stabbed to death.

Investigators said Wilson entered through an open garage door to steal but encountered Abghari inside. A struggle followed, and he stabbed her multiple times before stealing her car and fleeing.

Wilson vanished for months before authorities tracked him to another state, where he was already in jail under a different name on unrelated charges. He was extradited to Colorado, and a jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated robbery.

Jurors also determined he was a habitual offender with a lengthy criminal history. That designation significantly increased his sentence.

"The violence perpetrated by the defendant against Haleh Abghari, an innocent woman alone in her own home, deserved the harsh sentence issued today in court," District Attorney Michael J. Allen said. "Ms. Abghari’s death was a devastating loss for her family, the UCCS community she helped shape for over a decade, and the entire 4th Judicial District."

Allen said the outcome reflects the work of investigators, prosecutors and jurors. "We are grateful to see a just outcome in this case… and to the jurors who listened to difficult evidence and delivered guilty verdicts on all charges,"

Abghari’s family and friends say the loss has been immeasurable. Her sister, Niloofar Abghari, said the sentencing offered "little solace." She described Haleh as the most important person in her life.

"Every night when I sleep, I think about what happened to her," she said. "There’s no joy anymore. It’s just survival."

A fundraiser created after her death described Abghari as a devoted daughter and sister who spoke with her parents every night. She had visited them weeks before she was killed. Loved ones said she maintained close friendships across the country and around the world and was known for putting others before herself.

"This senseless act leaves a gaping hole in our hearts," the fundraiser reads. It adds that she "took on the burdens of others in her ongoing quest to make the world a better place."