A 14-Year-Old Pulled the Trigger. His Sister's Family Spent Years Fighting to Make Sure He Faced Adult Justice.

Shot in Cold Blood on Her Way Home

On February 20, 2021, Pamela Cabriales — a 32-year-old mother working in real estate — was sitting in her car on Colfax Avenue near Interstate 25 in Denver when she was fatally shot. She never made it home. Two individuals were involved: Nishan Johnson, who was 18 at the time and was driving the car, and Remy Cordova, who was 14 years old and identified as the shooter. Both were arrested shortly after. The case immediately drew attention not just because of how brutal it was, but because of how young one of the suspects was. A 14-year-old. A child, legally speaking — and that distinction would become the center of a years-long legal fight that Pamela's family had to live through on top of their grief.

Two Cases, Two Verdicts, One Exhausted Family

Johnson's case moved through the system first. As an adult at the time of the crime, he was tried as one and convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by 14 years of parole. That was hard enough. But Cordova's case was a whole different battle. Because he was 14 when he pulled the trigger, his case started in juvenile court — and the family had to fight to get it transferred to adult court, which they ultimately did. That transfer alone involved hearings, motions, and legal arguments that stretched the process out significantly. Cordova was eventually tried as an adult in November, convicted of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Then came sentencing. The judge — described by the family as fair and firm — handed down the maximum the state allowed: life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 40 years. That parole eligibility exists specifically because Cordova was a minor when the crime occurred. It's the law. The family didn't get to escape that reality, but they got everything else the prosecution could give them.

“I am grateful for the DA office, I am grateful for the prosecutors who have been with us throughout this whole entire process.”

— the storyteller, Pamela's sister, the morning after sentencing

The Sentencing Hearing Was Its Own Kind of Trauma

Pamela's sister shared her account of the sentencing hearing in a video posted the morning after — before 5 a.m., still processing, kids about to have a half day, no space to fall apart. She described the family going up to give victim impact statements, talking about how Pamela's death changed everything and keeps changing everything. Then Cordova's family and supporters took the stand too, describing him as kind-hearted, pleading for leniency. And she had to sit there and listen to all of it. That part — hearing people speak lovingly about the person who killed your sister — doesn't get talked about enough in true crime coverage. It's one of the most quietly brutal parts of the justice process for surviving families. She didn't minimize it or skip past it. She said it was very difficult to hear. And then she said the judge gave the maximum anyway. Judge Daryl Sheley oversaw both cases, which the family saw as meaningful — a consistency that felt like something more than coincidence.

“It was very difficult to hear these people talking about him and saying that he is the most kind-hearted person that they've ever known.”

— the storyteller, describing Cordova's supporters at the sentencing hearing

It's Over — For Now

The sister made clear she's grateful: for the DA's office, for the prosecutors who stayed with the family through every hearing and motion and transfer, for the judge who she described as kind and fair. She called it exhausting, and she called it over. But there's a footnote — Cordova's attorney has indicated they plan to appeal the conviction. So 'over' is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The family knows that. She knows that. And still, she called it over, because you have to call it something to survive the morning. Pamela's family has been living inside this case for years while also living their actual lives — raising kids, going to work, waking up every day without her. The verdict doesn't fix that. It just closes one chapter of a story that started with an unthinkable loss and never really ends.

“I just wanted to scream, I wanted to throw up — it's the worst feeling.”

— the storyteller, on leaving the sentencing hearing

Justice came, but it took years and cost the family enormously to get there — and with an appeal pending, the chapter isn't fully closed. Pamela Cabriales deserved to drive home.

Questions people ask

Why was the 14-year-old tried as an adult?

Remy Cordova's case was transferred from juvenile court to adult court due to the violent nature of the crime — specifically that he was identified as the shooter in a murder. The family and prosecution pushed for the transfer, and it was granted.

Why does a life sentence include parole eligibility after 40 years?

Because Cordova was 14 years old at the time of the offense, state law required that his life sentence include the possibility of parole — in this case after 40 years. It's a legal protection that applies specifically to minors convicted of serious crimes.

What happened to the driver, Nishan Johnson?

Nishan Johnson, who was 18 at the time of the shooting and drove the car, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2023 and sentenced to 35 years in prison followed by 14 years of parole.

Who was Pamela Cabriales?

Pamela Cabriales was a 32-year-old mother who worked in real estate. She was fatally shot while sitting in her car on Colfax Avenue near Interstate 25 in Denver on February 20, 2021.