Authorities in Glenwood Springs suspect an undocumented worker who was illegally hunting turkeys accidentally shot and killed Qwest executive Jeff Rando Garrett last month and has now fled to Mexico.
The suspect, an employee of Bear Wallow Ranch whose name was not released, was clearing brush with another worker May 14 northwest of New Castle in the same area where Garrett, an assistant vice president for Qwest in Colorado, was shot and killed, said Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario.
The workers had a rifle with them, Vallario said, and it has since been recovered and identified as the .22-caliber used in the shooting.
Vallario said it is possible that the suspect heard Garrett, a turkey hunter who was wearing camouflage and making calls from the brush, and mistakenly shot him thinking he was a bird.
He said the suspect could face felony charges of manslaughter, negligent homicide or second-degree murder. His whereabouts in Mexico are unknown, Vallario said.
Today, Vallario said authorities had not yet decided whether to pursue the case in Mexico, or whether they would push for extradition to the U.S.. Garfield County officials are working with the Colorado Attorney General’s office to determine the best course of action, he said.
After more than a month investigating the case, detectives uncovered the information that identified a suspect within the last 48 hours, the sheriff’s office said.
A detective said the suspect had been using several forms of bogus identification and that they hadn’t been able to find a criminal record or evidence of previous contact with law enforcement.
Garrett, 37, was hunting with two friends about 6:30 a.m. when they agreed to split up and meet later.
The friends called the Sheriff’s Office about 3 p.m. to report the Aurora man missing.
Garrett was found dead in the East Elk Creek by a search and rescue team dog about 7 p.m.
