COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – An 80-year-old Colorado Springs man has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, whose body was discovered near a local pond last year.

Stephen Chan was handed the life sentence on Monday, less than a year after he called 911 to report that he had killed his spouse, Jian Chan. Authorities responded to the early morning call on September 1, 2024, and launched a search that led to the grim discovery of Jian Chan, 54, by one of her neighbors several hours later.

According to court records, Chan confessed to law enforcement that he confronted his wife over accusations of stealing from him and having an extramarital affair. Chan stated he began harboring suspicions about her seventeen years ago, and the couple’s relationship had deteriorated further in the two years prior to her death, with the two ceasing all communication after repeated disputes.

Investigators said that Chan’s anger reportedly escalated over missing vegetables from his garden and a collection of cooking pans. Court documents detailed how he accused Jian Chan of both theft and infidelity, confronting her with claims about a supposed boyfriend and details he had learned or suspected about her private life.

The evening before the killing, authorities said, Chan waited until his wife was asleep before ambushing her. He told police that he bound her wrists, gagged her with a bathrobe belt, and dragged her into his car after retrieving a gun from a safe at their residence.

Chan then drove his wife, who remained bound and gagged, to a pond near their home. There, he shot her twice in the chest and abandoned her body, investigators said. Afterward, he drove to a nearby Colorado Springs Police Department station, where he surrendered and confessed to the crime.

During his interactions with police, Chan refused legal representation and recounted that he and his wife met 26 years ago in China before relocating to Colorado. He alleged a history of perceived betrayal and theft, maintaining these grievances even during his confession.

Following his arrest, Chan was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and assault by strangulation. Prosecutors rejected a plea deal proposed by Chan’s defense team in April that would have reduced the charge to manslaughter, opting instead to proceed to trial.

The jury delivered the guilty verdict late last week after hearing the evidence, including Chan’s detailed confession and the results of the investigation. In addition to the life sentence without the possibility of parole, Chan received consecutive terms for the assault and kidnapping convictions, totaling an additional 38 years behind bars.

Officials described the case as a tragic end to a lengthy marriage marked by years of suspicion and estrangement. Jian Chan’s death and the subsequent trial have sent shock waves through the local community, leaving many seeking answers about the circumstances that led to the fatal crime.