DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver man was sentenced to five years in a halfway house on Friday after he was found guilty of felony stalking of his estranged wife and violating a protection order.
Taylor Warford, 33, was sentenced to five years in community corrections. The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said it argued for a “much stricter sentence of eight years in the Department of Corrections,” but said a judge overruled that argument.
Prosecutors called Warford’s actions that led to the charges and sentencing “disturbing,” noting that at the time in 2023, he had been on probation for domestic violence against her in Jefferson County.
Investigators say Warford started his crime spree by placing a GPS tracking device on his estranged wife’s vehicle, then repeatedly threatened to kill her and her child. The victim, who has been identified as Amy Goggins, relocated to Castle Rock after Warford was convicted of domestic violence, which the 23rd District Attorney’s office said was an effort to escape the abuse.
However, matters escalated when Warford’s family contacted law enforcement and reported that he had bought five sets of handcuffs and a butane torch. They learned about the purchases through a shared Amazon account, and when asked about the purchases, Warford allegedly told them he planned to kill his ex-wife and child.
The district attorney’s office said authorities are investigating Warford for allegedly attempting to gain access to bomb-making materials.
Goggins told the court she still feared for her life and asked the judge to jail Warford, but the judge disagreed, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Amy Goggins and her family deserved better,” said 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office Senior Deputy District Attorney Nate Marsh about the sentence.
23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler agreed.
“Warford is a dangerous man, who has proven an unwillingness to abide by the law and the rules of prior courts, and forced a jury to hold him accountable for his felonious conduct,” Brauchler said in a statement. “We asked for the maximum prison sentence, because the victim he continues to stalk, and this community deserve protection.”
Brauchler went on to say that Warford could be released into non-residential status in “mere months” while on community control, and blamed Colorado laws.
“Weak laws in Colorado are the norm, but here in Douglas County, our citizens expect their safety to be prioritized. With all the respect due to the Court’s sentence, that did not happen here,” Brauchler said. “I fear a dangerous man is still on the streets.”
Warford was found guilty by a jury in July. The crimes that led to his sentencing on Friday occurred in 2023.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
