← Back to United States casesJustin Rosen Allegedly Murdered by Teresa Perez, Denver, Colorado, United States
Case Summary
According to the documentary report, Teresa Perez developed a long-term affair with married Denver car dealer Justin Rosen after leaving her fourth husband. Rosen provided housing, cash, and other support but ultimately decided to remain married and end the relationship after being diagnosed with cancer. The report says Perez stalked and threatened him, forced him into a car at gunpoint on October 3, 2003, and fired multiple shots at him outside a Denver police station. Rosen died, Perez was fatally shot by responding police, and an officer was injured but survived. Detectives reportedly found a suicide note addressed to Perez's children.
Basic Information
Country: United States
State/Province: Colorado, United States
City/Region: Denver
Incident Type: Murder
Relationship Status: Extramarital relationship
Relationship Duration: Approximately 6 years (affair)
Affair / New-Partner Context
Recorded context: Affair started / overlapping relationship
Reported initiator: Unclear / not reported
Relationship timing: During marriage or ongoing partnership, before separation
Incident Date: Oct. 3, 2003
Incident Sequence and Additional Victims
Primary reported outcome: Homicide
Reported self-harm outcome: Attempted suicide; outcome unclear
Person(s) reported to have died by or attempted suicide: Teresa Perez
Reported role: Alleged suspect / offender
Reported sequence: Same incident; order unclear
Additional victims reported: 1
Additional victim events:
- Joe Padilla — Other third party; Seriously injured; Same episode; order unclear
Relationship Journey
Relationship Origins:
- Met at Workplace
Relationship Stages:
- Dating
- Married Living Together
- Separated
- Love Marriage
Analysis
Contributing Factors:
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Financial Issues
- Domestic Conflict
- Mental instability
- Love obsession
- Divorce / Separation
Red Flags:
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Financial secrecy
- Deception after incident
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
Motives:
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Fear of exposure
- Desire for new relationship
Relationship Outcomes:
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before divorce
- Weapon recovery
- Self-harm
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Justin Rosen Allegedly Murdered by Teresa Perez, Denver, Colorado, United States
Relationship Journey Graph
Origin
- Met at Workplace
How the relationship or connection began.
Status
- Extramarital relationship
Approximately 6 years (affair)
Stages
- Dating
- Married Living Together
- Separated
- Love Marriage
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Warning Signals
- Unusual closeness with a specific third person
- Financial secrecy
- Deception after incident
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Secret affair
- Threats
- Stalking / Repeated Harassment
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Pressure Points
- Cheating / Infidelity
- Financial Issues
- Domestic Conflict
- Mental instability
- Love obsession
- Divorce / Separation
- Revenge
- Extramarital relationship
- Fear of exposure
- Desire for new relationship
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
Incident
2003-10-03
Outcome
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide before divorce
- Weapon recovery
- Self-harm
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
AI Intelligence Assessment
Relationship Pattern
Infidelity
Pattern Analysis
The reported relationship was a long-term affair involving two married people, with an exchange of emotional and material benefits. Teresa Perez reportedly viewed Justin Rosen as a source of love, security, money, and status, while Rosen maintained his marriage and eventually withdrew support. The reported breakup escalated through exposure, stalking, threats, firearm use, and a fatal confrontation.
Investigative Notes
The report states that Teresa Perez forced Justin Rosen into a car at gunpoint on October 3, 2003, and that Rosen drove toward a Denver police station before escaping and reporting that she had a gun. The report says Perez fired several shots at Rosen and then shot him again at close range while police ordered her to drop the weapon. Officer Joe Padilla reportedly returned fire, fatally hitting Perez; an officer was injured but survived. Detectives reportedly found a suicide note in Perez's car addressed to her two children. No arrest or conviction is reported because both principal participants died, and the source does not provide a complete formal case disposition.
Investigation Confusion
The report is unclear about whether Perez intended to commit suicide, whether she fired at herself, and the precise order of her actions and the police response. It states that she put the gun to her head but also says Officer Joe Padilla returned fire and saw her go down. Some relationship and psychological interpretations are presented by interviewees or commentators rather than established investigative findings.
Case Reconstruction / Puzzle Pieces
The reported relationship began at Rosen's car dealership while both people were married. Perez left her fourth husband and became Rosen's concealed partner, receiving rent, expenses, cash, and a separate apartment while Rosen remained married. After approximately six years, Rosen's illness and decision to end the affair threatened Perez's emotional and material security. The report connects subsequent contact with Rosen's wife, alleged stalking and threats, the exposure of the affair, and the loss of financial support to the October 3, 2003 armed confrontation. Rosen was killed, Perez was fatally shot by police, and an officer survived an injury.
Risk Assessment
The source describes a high-risk escalation involving a secret affair, dependency on housing and cash, fear of abandonment, repeated pressure to leave a spouse, reported stalking and threats, access to firearms, and escalating conflict after the affair ended. The final confrontation involved a weapon, a homicide, the fatal shooting of Teresa Perez by police, and injury to an officer. The psychological explanations remain source-reported and do not establish a clinical diagnosis or prove motive.
Key Takeaways
The source presents a relationship-risk pattern involving secrecy, competing attachments, dependency on a partner for housing and money, repeated promises about leaving a marriage, and escalating behavior after withdrawal. Reported warning signs included stalking, threats, firearm access, increasing pressure for commitment, and fear of being abandoned or financially displaced. These points are useful for historical comparison but remain limited by the documentary format and lack of independently cited case records.
AI Case Q&A
What early signals mattered most?
The most important reported early signals were Teresa Perez's repeated difficulty with rejection, dependence on relationships for security, pursuit of materially powerful partners, the secret affair with Justin Rosen, and later dissatisfaction with being kept as the hidden partner. The report also describes stalking behavior, threats, and access to firearms before the fatal event.
Which clues helped connect the case?
The reported clues connecting the case were the long-term affair, Rosen's decision to end it, Perez's contact with Rosen's wife, the loss of cash and housing support, her presence near Rosen's home, the gun used during the forced car ride, Rosen's statement to police that she had a gun, and the suicide note found in her car.
Which evidence types appeared strongest?
The strongest evidence types described were eyewitness and officer accounts of the confrontation, Rosen's reported statement to police, the firearm activity observed by officers, the officer's account of returning fire, the reported injury and deaths, and the written note found in Perez's vehicle. The source does not provide forensic reports, ballistics findings, or authenticated court records.
Witness / Eyewitness Statements
The report says Justin Rosen reportedly escaped from the vehicle and told police, "She's got a gun." Officer Joe Padilla reportedly heard numerous gunshots, saw Perez shooting Rosen, and said he returned fire. Kirsten reportedly learned from her father that Perez had killed Rosen and was also dead. Family members and commentators described the relationship history, but no independent eyewitness account of the entire confrontation is provided.
How did follow-up reports change the understanding?
The report's narrative changes from describing a secret affair and financial dependency to describing alleged stalking, threats, and an armed confrontation after Rosen became ill and ended the relationship. The final account adds that Rosen was killed, Perez was fatally shot by police, an officer survived an injury, and a note was found in Perez's car. No later court or investigative follow-up is provided.
What remained unclear?
The precise sequence of Perez's attempted self-harm, Rosen's shooting, and the officer's return fire remains unclear. The source does not establish the complete forensic record, the exact legal classification of Perez's death, the identities of all prior husbands, or whether every psychological interpretation reflects formal expert evaluation. It also does not provide a complete official case disposition.