Deka Simmons, a 40-year-old woman from Colorado Springs, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday. According to court documents, she was convicted of murdering Daxcimo Ceja, a man she believed had committed a sexual offense decades earlier.
Simmons was found guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and tampering with a deceased body.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Sharon Flaherty said, Simmons shot Ceja, 48, in a garage after learning of his alleged sexual relationship with a minor when he was 25. Despite the allegation, Ceja was not registered as a sex offender in California at the time of his death, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
In October 2023, his remains were found in a drainage ditch near the 500 block of W. Polk Street, after an anonymous tip was received.
The prosecution described Simmons as having “an unrestrained hatred for anyone who would molest a child.” During the trial, it was revealed that a witness reported seeing Simmons shoot Ceja and that DNA evidence linked her to the crime scene. Ceja had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to register as a sex offender at the time of his death
Simmons was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In addition, she received 24 years for tampering with deceased body, and 3 years for tampering with physical evidence These sentences will be served consecutively, ensuring Simmons will spend the rest of her life in prison.
In court, Ceja’s mother, Karen Fancher expressed her profound grief, stating, “(Ceja) was killed for something he did 24 years ago.” She acknowledged her son’s past but emphasized that his death was not justified.
According to District Attorney Michael Allen, Deka Simmons’ actions were driven by an unrestrained hatred for anyone she perceived as a child molester, even in cases where the allegations were decades old and unproven. Her violent criminal history, which includes being an accessory to a previous killing and assaulting her own stepfather, clearly demonstrated her propensity for violence and the danger she poses to society.
