HPP: Police charged the housemate with murder after he was caught on the run with a woman in Mississippi. The body of a man who vanished from a Colorado sober living home last month was discovered in a “wooded area” on Friday.
They discovered a lot of blood scattered throughout the house, which prompted them to search for him and another man who lived there.
According to local police officials, Johnny Rankin Morris, 46, has been charged with both the murder of Stephen Walker in El Paso County and a murder in Park County. After Walker’s remains were found, he was apprehended by police in Pearl River County, Mississippi, on December 30 for an unrelated offense.
He is currently awaiting extradition on accusations of first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human corpse, and tampering with physical evidence.
While Morris and an alleged acquaintance, Hailey Cole, also vanished but were listed as “armed and dangerous” fugitives, Walker, 37, was reported missing by his family on December 19.
“From the onset of the missing person case on December 19, 2024, our investigative efforts have been ongoing and relentless, with cooperation and teamwork across numerous agencies,” the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 3 press release. “During the investigation, information was developed which led investigators to a wooded location outside of El Paso County, where a deceased adult male was located. The body of the deceased individual was recovered and has since been positively identified as our missing person, 37-year-old Stephen Walker.”
El Paso County deputies reported on December 19 that they received a call that Thursday night to visit a residence in the Cimarron Hills neighborhood in the 1800 block of Pima Drive.
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The sheriff’s office claims that “deputies found large amounts of blood in multiple locations throughout the residence while on scene.” According to reports, Morris and Cole, both 43, were “armed and dangerous.”
Walker was just listed as missing, however he was described as “missing under suspicious circumstances.”
“He doesn’t bother anybody,” Walker’s cousin, Leona Neely stated to KKTV. “He really doesn’t. He’s a good person. I don’t see anybody wanting to hurt him.”
According to Walker’s family, the residence that was involved in the incident on December 19 was a sober-living home, which is where both Walker and Morris resided. Regarding the connection between Cole and Morris, it is not obvious.
After being requested to do a welfare check on a residence located in the 1500 block of Campfire Road, the authorities in Park County became engaged in the situation.
Timmy L. Huston, 65, was apparently discovered dead inside, and Morris was charged with his and Walker’s murders. This came about because deputies discovered Walker’s automobile less than two miles away from Huston’s residence while authorities were looking into Hutson’s death.
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Each of Morris and Cole is being charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, tampering with evidence of a criminal offense, and conspiracy.
These accusations are being brought against them simultaneously. A bond has not been set for Morris’s release.