HARTSEL, Colo. — Arrest warrants have been issued for the two suspects wanted in connection with the murder of a man near Hartsel, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced Friday.
Johnny Rankin Morris, 46, and 43-year-old Hailey Cole were arrested in Mississippi on Monday after investigators in Colorado developed probable cause to bring them in for questioning in connection with the Dec. 19 murder of Timmy L. Huston, 65, of Hartsel.
The case also has “indirect ties” to the disappearance of 37-year-old Stephen Walker, who lived in the same home as Morris.
Deputies said a call for a welfare check at the home in the Cimarron Hills area of unincorporated El Paso County led them to find “large quantities of blood” in the garage of the home where the two men lived.
The body found in the home has since been identified as Walker by the El Paso County Coroner's Office.
“I speak for my entire Office when I say our heartfelt prayers are with Mr. Walker’s family and friends as they navigate this tragic situation,” said Sheriff Roybal. “Although there is no way to ease their broken hearts, we hope to ease their burden by holding the individual who senselessly took Stephen’s life accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
In announcing the arrests warrants for both suspects, CBI officials added that during a Dec. 24 welfare check for Huston in Park County, deputies discovered Walker’s car about 1.5 miles away from the slain man’s home.
Huston was later found dead inside his Hartsel home by Park County deputies.
A Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert was then issued for both Morris and Cole, who were believed to be traveling to their home state of Mississippi in Huston's truck, a Ford F250, according to investigators, and both were arrested by Mississippi deputies from the Pearl River County Sheriff's Office.
Both Morris and Cole are now facing several charges in the 11th Judicial District of Colorado, including first-degree murder – after deliberation, aggravated robbery, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, tampering with evidence of a felony crime and conspiracy.
Morris faces charges from Park County as well as in El Paso County. Cole only faces charges in Park County.
Court dates for both have not been set.
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