Colorado Man Fatally Shot Neighbor 12x Over Dog Dispute

A ticket isn't worth your life or the life of someone else, but after receiving one, a Colorado Springs man viciously took out his rage on his neighbor.

According to a report from the Gazzette, on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, James Hanlon, 56, was found guilty of the murder of his neighbor Gary Dolce, age 63.

Get our free mobile app

Hanlon vs Dolce: Where the Feud Started

Hanlon and Dolce were neighbors in Colorado Springs and shared a fence. Allegedly there had been multiple instances of feuds concerning each person's dogs.

On the day of the murder, Hanlon was ticketed by the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for having an aggressive dog.

Hanlon's Great Dane had broken through the fence that the pair shared and Dolce was concerned that his dogs or himself would be attacked.

Dolce Feared For His Life

Prior to Dolce's killing, Dolce told neighbors just how bad things had escalated and told them that if he was ever killed, to look towards Hanlon.

Audio recording from the citation by Animal Law Enforcement provides further evidence of just how angry Hanlon was about the ticketing incident.

Hanlon can be heard talking to the animal control officer stating:

"Well, maybe he just needs his ass kicked. Maybe that will help. I've done that before, that will sometimes get your neighbors to back off."

The Colorado Springs Murder Was Caught on Camera

Hanlon was ticketed for his aggressive dog at 5:38 PM, and less than an hour later at 6:24 PM, the fatal shooting occurred.

Hanlon drove up to Dolce's in a blue sport utility vehicle wearing a disposable plastic glove and equipped with a gun.

Meanwhile, Dolce was recording the visit with his phone in one hand and was holding his dog in his other arm.

Hanlon can be heard calling Dolce stupid before he fired multiple shots. Dolce immediately falls to the ground and can be heard saying, "Oh my god," repeatedly.

Dolce succumbed to his wounds, but his phone recording found by an EMT gave prosecutors all the evidence they needed.

The coroner reported that Dolce was shot 12 times, and for that Hanlon will now serve life in prison without parole for the vicious murder.

The Top 10 Oldest Cold Cases in Colorado Dating Back to 1911

The following missing and homicide cases are some of the oldest on record in the state of Colorado. Flip through the gallery to see the 10 oldest cases in the state that have a photograph on file.

Top 10 Grand Junction Cold Cases Dating Back to 1964

Families in Grand Junction are still looking for answers after the death or disappearance of 10 individuals who have either died or are still missing as part of a string of cold cases that stretch from 1964 to 1998.

Past Colorado Murders You May Not Know About

Colorado has had some high-profile murders over the years, but there are many murders that occurred before most of which you may not be familiar with.