has been convicted and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A jury found that Charles Moises Gonzales shot Rust in the back of the head. The confrontation came after Rust had discovered Gonzales burgled his house and chased after Gonzales. Rust's brother Marty, who lives in Monument, tells Colorado Matters that knowing the killer will spend the rest of his life behind bars is a relief.
"It helps me to know this guy is going to pay a price for what he did. At least while he continues to breathe, he’s going to be uncomfortable," Marty Rust said.
Mike Rust was born in Colorado Springs and is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. At the time of his disappearance he lived in a house he built off the grid in Saguache County, in the San Luis Valley. Rust's life and the uncertainty about what happened to him were explored in a documentary, released in 2015, called The Rider & The Wolf, directed by Nathan Ward.
