Manhunt suspect pleads guilty, faces decades in prison

Six months after he was accused of leading law enforcement on a 14-hour manhunt through Larimer County, Adam Fulford stood before a judge Thursday and entered a series of guilty pleas. 

The 34-year-old Loveland man was facing more than 50 criminal charges — including three counts of attempted murder with extreme indifference — stemming from the March incident that left a cab driver with a gunshot wound and a mother and her two children  injured after a high-speed traffic collision.

As part of a plea agreement, Fulford entered guilty pleas Thursday for only eight charges: two counts of first-degree assault, aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, second-degree burglary, vehicular eluding, possession of a dangerous weapon, and felony possession of a controlled substance.

Fulford will likely face 35 years in prison for the first seven charges and 18 years in prison for the last one, to be served concurrently; he will be officially sentenced Nov. 9. 

Several of the victims in the case plan to speak at sentencing. 

Fulford appeared frustrated at Thursday's hearing that he had limited time to ponder the plea agreement. At one point, Eighth Judicial District Judge Gregory Lammons briefly stopped the court proceedings after Fulford said the plea agreement was "all new" to him and he felt pressure to take it because the district attorney's office might rescind the offer if he did not accept. 

"It's a lot to digest," Lammons said, before giving Fulford a 15-minute break to review the agreement one last time with his attorney. "I get motions from people every week saying 'I didn't understand what was happening' (when I pleaded guilty)."

Lammons said he wanted to make sure Fulford understood the terms of the agreement and his rights before he entered his guilty pleas. Lammons also reviewed each of the charges with Fulford during the hearing before Fulford entered the pleas.

In late March, Larimer County sheriff's deputies attempted to arrest Fulford at a central Fort Collins apartment. He reportedly fled, shot a taxi driver and eluded police until the next morning when authorities say he carjacked a Toyota Prius and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase. That car chase topped speeds of 100 mph and ended when Fulford crashed into a vehicle in Loveland, injuring a woman and her two children.