Devan Schreiner (Boulder County Jail), the scene of the shooting (CBS Colorado screengrab)
A “cold-blooded” Colorado woman who stood trial for ambushing and killing her ex-boyfriend, a USPS worker, as the victim delivered mail in 2021 was convicted of murder on Tuesday in Boulder County.
Jurors determined that Devan Schreiner, now 27, shot Jason Schaefer, 33, multiple times and committed first-degree murder.
Boulder County Jail records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Schreiner was initially booked at the facility at 4 a.m. on Oct. 14, 2021, several hours after the shooting the afternoon before. Although there is not yet any sentencing information in the jail system, the records do show that Schreiner’s first-degree murder case is in the post-jury deliberation stage.
Judge Patrick Butler immediately sentenced the defendant to serve life in prison without parole Tuesday, the punishment that the laws of Colorado call for in the absence of the death penalty.
As Law&Crime previously reported, citing the arrest warrant in Schreiner’s case, the shooting was investigated by the Longmont Police Department after Schaefer was shot in front of neighborhood mailboxes. He died at the scene.
When the postmaster arrived at the scene of the USPS worker’s death, he remarked: “Did the baby mama do it?”
Prosecutors said that the murder took place while the former couple was embroiled in a custody battle over the young child they shared.
Jason Schaefer (image via USPS)
Shocked Longmont locals told investigators they heard four gunshots and saw a suspect in a hoodie fleeing from the crime scene. It didn’t take long for surveillance video to show that the defendant’s vehicle was in the vicinity of the crime scene, court documents said.
In a failed apparent attempt to create an alibi, Schreiner told investigators that she ate pizza rolls prior to the shooting and returned to work.
Boulder-area District Attorney Michael Dougherty reportedly told CBS Colorado after the jury’s verdict and the suspect’s sentencing that Devan Schreiner is “a cold-blooded murderer.”
“She took steps to get away with this brutal murder, but she underestimated two things. First, the victim was very much loved by his family and co-workers; the information and support they provided was critical,” the DA reportedly said. “Also, the US Postal Inspectors and Longmont detectives brought their best efforts and, along with our prosecution team, ensured justice was done. As always, we appreciate the time and service of the jurors.”
9News reported that prosecutors read a victim impact statement from Schaefer’s mother in court. The grieving parent reportedly said she has “not slept” since her son was murdered and that her family’s lives have been “destroyed forever.” Schaefer’s mother also said that her 7-year-old grandson, the child at the center of the custody battle that preceded the murder, has now lost both of his parents.
The boy is reportedly living with relatives in Connecticut.
Barring a successful appeal or an act of clemency, Schreiner will never see the outside of prison walls again. She will turn 28 on Aug. 14.
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