Ellizabeth Rainey

Case identification

Ellyzabeth Rainey

STATUS and disposition

Ellyzabeth Rainey pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 41 years in prison on April 4, 2014.

The offence

Ellyzabeth Rainey killed her mother-in-law, Deborah Rainey, 59. Police described that Rainey poured boiling water over Deborah Rainey and then stabbed her. Police said Rainey also threw free weights at Deborah Rainey and poured bleach into her mouth and nose. Investigators said Rainey had long quarreled with her mother-in-law. At the time of the killing, the relationship between Rainey and her husband, Jason Rainey, was deteriorating and they were about to get a divorce.

Investigators said the attack happened at Rainey's apartment in southeast Colorado Springs, where she lived with her husband and a newborn baby. One report identified the apartment as being in the Tanager Meadows complex in southeast Colorado Springs and listed 1384 Sandalwood Drive.

After killing Deborah Rainey, Rainey hid the body under an air mattress before her husband came home from work. When police arrived, officers found a bloody butcher's knife on the kitchen counter.

Investigation

Police came to the scene after responding to a noise complaint from a neighbor. When police arrived, they heard a baby crying and entered the home. Ellyzabeth Rainey presented the baby to officers and asked them to take the child because she had "just killed someone" and she had to go on the run. Police said she then threw the baby at officers and tried to escape.

One report described a two-hour interrogation in which Detective Shawn Peterson said Rainey recounted details of the April 3 slaying of Deborah Rainey, including scalding water in Rainey's apartment, free weights, stabbing, and bleach. At a pre-trial hearing, Peterson testified and a judge ruled that evidence was strong enough to try her on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Detective Shawn Peterson described a comment Rainey made: "Ms. Rainey commented that Deborah has never liked her anyway … she got tired of being pushed around so 'she killed her,'" Peterson stated in an affidavit.

The police noted Rainey smelled strongly of bleach and took a statement from Rainey. At the station, Rainey identified herself as bipolar since the age of 10, but said she did not take medication.

Arrest and police custody

Police caught Ellyzabeth Rainey after she tried to escape. One of the officers caught up with her further down the street while another went inside the house and discovered the body. Rainey gave a statement at the police station.

Trial

Before trial, a judge ruled that evidence was strong enough to try her on suspicion of first-degree murder.

At a daylong pre-trial hearing, Detective Shawn Peterson testified. During Peterson’s testimony, the report quoted: "She said she wanted to make sure she was dead," Peterson said.

During the interrogation described by one report, Rainey spoke of "voices" that told her that her husband's mother was trying to "take everything away" from her. Ellyzabeth Rainey’s attorney, Todd Johnson, argued that she did not have a "culpable mental state." Johnson also described that during Peterson’s interrogation, Rainey "giggled nervously" and spoke of voices. Prosecutors countered that Rainey appeared to understand the questions and displayed no obvious signs of mental distress.

Rainey claimed she had been hospitalized in a psychiatric facility days before the killing after seeing hallucinations and becoming suicidal, though police said they had yet to corroborate that claim. A report also said Rainey claimed she had been hospitalized after seeing hallucinations and becoming suicidal, and that police said they had yet to corroborate.

Sentencing

Ellyzabeth Rainey pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder of her husband's mother, Deborah Rainey, 59. She was sentenced to 41 years in prison on April 4, 2014.

Timeline

• April 3, 2013 — Ellyzabeth Rainey invited her mother-in-law for a home-cooked dinner, then killed her; officers later found the bloody butcher's knife on the kitchen counter after responding to a noise complaint.
• April 6, 2014 — Reports stated that Ellyzabeth Rainey was sentenced to 41 years in prison after pleading guilty in January to second-degree murder.
• April 4, 2014 — Ellyzabeth Rainey was sentenced to 41 years in prison.
• January — Ellyzabeth Rainey pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Other details

Ellyzabeth Rainey lived with her husband, Jason Rainey, and a newborn baby at the apartment where the killing occurred. Deborah Rainey had been staying at the apartment to help care for the couple’s baby. One report said she had been staying for two weeks; another stated Deborah had been staying to help care for the baby.

One report said Deborah Rainey’s son was at work during the attack.

One report described a probable cause ruling by 4th Judicial District Judge G. David Miller.

One report stated Rainey bought a set of knives two days earlier, hid them in the laundry room, and moved her husband’s free weights from a bedroom into the living room in preparation for the attack.

Another report described that Rainey was scheduled to return to court for an arraignment and would be held without bond at the El Paso County jail.

Another report described Rainey forcing bleach into Deborah Rainey’s mouth and nostrils at some point during the attack.

Ellyzabeth Rainey’s attorney was identified as Todd Johnson. One report said ABC News was unable to reach Jason Rainey or Ellyzabeth Rainey’s attorney, Todd Johnson, for comment. Another report said neither Jason Rainey nor Todd Johnson could be reached for comment.