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Coroner identifies Minnesota fugitive who died in Weld County crash after pursuit

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DENVER – The man who died in a pursuit that started in Wyoming and ended in Weld County on March 31 was identified as a 66-year-old Minnesota man who was previously convicted of killing his estranged wife.

The Weld County coroner identified the man was Craig R. Licari, 66, and said his final cause and manner of death were pending full autopsy and lab results.

The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. on March 31 on Highway 85 outside of Eaton in Weld County. Wyoming law enforcement had initiated a pursuit with Licari before he drove into Colorado, where Colorado State Patrol troopers got involved.

Near Eaton, a CSP trooper and Ault police officer deployed stop sticks and Licari swerved into a trooper’s vehicle, causing it to roll, CSP said previously.

Licari’s sedan also crashed after crossing a drainage ditch and ending up in a field aside the highway. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and CSP said at the time it did not believe he was wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Licari was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of his estranged wife in 1999. He was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison but was moved to work release in early 2017 before being moved to supervised release later that year.