Tuesday, July 28, 2009

18 Year-Old Found Guilty in Stabbing Death of Friend’s Father

Adams/Broomfield District Attorney Don Quick announced today that Andrew Michael Galek (dob: 9/25/90), was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree. Galek, was charged as an adult with first degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of a man that occurred in Westminster, Colorado.

On July 13, 2008, at approximately 1:30 AM police responded to a home in Westminster, CO and discovered a disabled man had been stabbed in his sleep in the abdomen. Galek was apprehended approximately 15 minutes later, 4 blocks west of the victim’s residence hiding under a parked pickup truck. The victim, Hans Joachim Botho Winter (dob 12/24/44), was the father of Galek’s long time friend. District Attorney, Don Quick states, “The victim and his wife had treated Galek like family for a number of years, and there is no evidence or allegation that Mr. and Mrs. Winter ever mistreated Galek in any way.”

Galek was spending the night at his friend’s house and both had been drinking alcohol. The victim was sleeping in his bed when Galek stabbed him to death. Although evidence was presented that Galek and the victim’s son had been drinking, the jury found that Galek had the mental capacity to knowingly stab his friend’s father and then run from the house and hide down the street behind a car.

Galek will be sentenced on September 18, 2009 at 1:30 PM by Judge Mark Warner in Division G. The presumptive sentencing range for Murder in the Second Degree is 16 to 48 years.

21 comments:

  1. Where was the mother? Article doesn't specify. Galek's son does in fact seem to have selective memory. I feel he has some degree of guilt. Where did this idea come from to stab the father. Has everyone in the house when the incident happen take a lie detector test to disprove their involvement?

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  2. You can't rely on lie detectors to decide a sencence like that.

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  3. I also kind of wonder where the idea for stabbing came from...I also wonder if the entire incident was masterminded by son or mother...I know they found Galek hiding...but what if the mother made him believe in his drunken state that he was in trouble and should hide? What if her story is completely contrived? How could it be disputed if everyone else in the house was drunk on tequila?

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  4. Jackie Vogel/Las VegasNovember 13, 2009

    I agree with the last post. I am watching this trial on Tru tv right now. For some reason I get a STRONG feeling that this kid was set up. I feel that the mother had something to do with this, as well as her son. She no longer wanted to take care of her husband. She had the perfect opportunity to get the son to get drunk withh Andrew, then set him up. I do not believe for one second that that man said "Why did you hit me Andrew?" I feel horrible for Andrew, as I do believe the wrong person is going to spend god knows how long in prison, for someone else's selfish actions. I believe this was planned. Was there a life insurance by any chance??? Something just feels FISHY!

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  5. I feel so bad for this kid, I think it was a set up

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  6. Can the verdict be overturned by the judge? I think the whole thing was a set up

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  7. Madelyn SenaNovember 14, 2009

    I feel sad for Andrew.. I believe it was a set-up....sooo sad...

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  8. A set up....yes,yes!

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  9. He did it! If anyone listened to the 911 call, no one can act that well. I don't think she set this up. I feel bad for her because she lost her husband and her son has lost his best friend. Her son was brought to the hospital due to alcohol poisoning when he couldn't be aroused. How about the letters Andy wrote to his girlfriend. This kid didn't come from a happy family himself. He did it and only has himself to blame.

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  10. Just found out that "Andy" Galek was charged for the crime of stabbing his best friend's father,Hans Winter. I think it's terribly sad to hold this kid responsible as it appears quite obvious,he was "victimized" himself! The wife & son are to blame,in my opinion! I am not alone in my assumptions-any chance Judge could overturn juries verdict? I'm schocked this case was not hung,there had to be reasonable doubt somewhere!!!!!!!!!

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  11. I feel it was a set up as well. If the husband was yelling why did'nt the mother go directly to him...instead she went to the basement. It was Kevin's idea to have Andy come over! How much insurance money was issued? They were all to scriped!

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  12. Did someone wipe the knife clean? The evidence showed no DNA found on the knife. Do you think someone so drunk would have thought to wipe the knife clean or was someone smart enough to wipe it clean so as not to implicate the true killer? If Hans screamed out and said, "Why did you hit me Andrew?", wouldn't a wife normally check the husband to see if he was alright and converse further before running after Andy? I understood the medical examiner to say that Hans bleed internally not out. If there was merely a smere of blood on the sheet why did the wife make an issue of blood on the 911 tape?

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  13. How can we come together and help this kid?
    What is wrong with that judge, can't he see
    somethings not right with the story?
    Poor kid , an easy set up

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  14. EXACTLY! I AGREE WITH THE LAST POST. BECAUSE FOR ONE IF SHE WAS RIGHT BESIDE HIM AND HE YELLED WHY SHE DIDNT TEND TO HIM AND MAKE SURE HE WAS OK. LIKE YOU SAY INSTEAD SHE RUNS TO THE BASEMENT ONLY TO PUT THE MURDER WEAPON ON THE BED ANDREW WAS SUPPOSE TO SLEEP ON. I FEEL ANDREW KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING GOING ON BUT HE WAS TOO INTOXICATED TO REMEMBER THE HALF OF IT. IT WILL COME OUT SOON BECAUSE EVENTUALLY SHE WILL BE PUNISHED!

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  15. To Anonymous who said no one could act that well. I've listened to many many 911 calls on "Snapped" and they all sound very convincing. the poor kid was set up.

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  16. Yes i agree with the last post. The wife is crying alright, tears of joy if you ask me. I'd cry too if i got away w/ murder.
    The kid did'nt do it!
    wheres the motive?
    wheres the dna?
    everyone in town know Andrews history of blacking out.
    Someone should have investigated the wife and son.
    Life insurance?
    How about a Computer. One stab in the right place, kinda funny to me.
    And if the wife says the boys where really that drunk, then how did Andrew make it up and down the steps that fast.
    They have this kid believing he stabbed that man. Andrew needs a new trial and a better attorney. Hopefully it will come out real soon 34 years is a long time. Stephanie, Baltimore md

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  17. How is it Galek's fault? The kid never had a dose of Tequilla until Winter mentioned changing the drink for the night. Winter also was the one who invited Galek over for a "good time" of drinking. Vodka was Galek's only choice of drink. Instead of the mother going to her husband she was standing on the porch just awaiting. This is crap that kid is innocent! He looked everyone straight in the eye and was honest. Winter kept looking away and repeatively said "I don't recall" or "I don't remember" to most all of the questions. How can Winter not remember when he was asked the same exact questions? I pray the mother and son get justice for what they have done one day. The mother may have wanted money from the death....Maybe they were tired of watching over her ill husband? This case should very well be brought up again and more looked into. No DNA, No fingerprints? How can they pin Galek? Galek probably ran away from the fact of being afraid of that family. Why was Winter in the basement? Galek never remembered what he did. Oh wow so he wrote a letter, that is no where near a confession. This Judge was oviously just tired of listening and tired of dealing with it all so he just came to a conclusion. It is a sick thing what this family did. Anyone can pull a frantic attack...The answers didn't match from the night it happened to when they questioned the family again. Poor Poor Galek. I pray for the Galek family, and Galek himself. This has bothered me since I have seen it and now to know that the kid is in prison for something so fake the Winter family set up, just makes me sick of what the law has become.

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  18. wow, unbelievable, galek will win out on this with a better lawyer, mom and son laughing now but it all will come out soon, a complete setup, in that stupor and running down the steps, instead of falling down drunk, no way, mom knows and so does the son. hang in there andy, you'll be out soon.

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  19. Yes i agree w/ the last post , I have been bothered by this case since I seen it on tv.Poor Andrew , I'm a mother of three maybe thats why it bothers me so bad.
    Can he get a new trial?
    I don't know how Ms. Winters sleeps at night.I thought for sure it was going to be a hung jury, i was shocked that he was found guilty. This is an injustice

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  20. andy never had a chance. I feel soooo sorry for andy and I believe that the Winter boy set Andy up, knowing Andy had a problem with blackouts. Can't get the injustice of this trial out of my mind, Pray for a new trail for Andy...

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  21. We need to find out what we can do for this kid, with no evidence or motive there should be no conviction. This is a cruel unjustice and it is going to take people to set the record straight. This kid does not deserve what he got- SETUP

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