Colorado Man Gets Life in Prison for Shooting, Killing Grocery Store Supervisor

A Colorado man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after shooting and killing the supervisor of a King Soopers grocery store distribution center in 2021.

An Adams County District Court jury convicted Michael Poydras, 32, of first-degree murder on July 21 after a two-week trial. Poydras shot and killed Ryan Dillard on Oct. 20, 2021.

The Aurora Police Department responded to a report of a shooting and found a crashed vehicle with a man inside, Dillard, with several gunshot wounds, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for Adams and Broomfield counties.

Surveillance video later showed Poydras, dressed entirely in black and hiding behind a sign just after 9 a.m. on the morning of the shooting. The video then showed him running toward a passing car and shooting several times as the driver, Dillard, attempted to leave.

Investigators determined that Dillard had been hired roughly two weeks prior as a supervisor at a local King Soopers distribution center and, shortly after, learned that some employees were running a payroll scheme.

Poydras, who had previously worked at the distribution center but was still on the payroll, was allegedly involved in that scheme, according to the district attorney’s office.

“This was a cold and calculated murder, committed in broad daylight for all to see,” District Attorney Brian Mason said in a statement. “Mr. Poydras murdered a supervisor to keep a payroll scheme he was benefiting from in operation.”

As part of his sentence, Poydras will not have the possibility of parole.

A case against Jerrelle Smith, Poydras’ co-defendant, is pending in Adams County District Court. The district attorney’s office did not give details on Smith’s alleged involvement in the murder.