A woman driving the vehicle with the suspected shooter of a Colorado State Patrol trooper hidden inside has been arrested for allegedly trying to help the suspect escape before he turned a gun on himself.
Cori Elizabeth Graham, 27, of DeBeque faces charges of being an accessory to a crime, tampering with physical evidence and obstructing a police officer.
Graham drove up to a roadblock between Rifle and Silt on Wednesday night and stepped out of the pickup she was driving when officers asked for ID.
Officers heard a gunshot from inside the four-door truck and found the object of their manhunt, Steven J. Appl, under a blanket in the rear seat with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Appl, 33, was the suspect in the shooting of Trooper Brian Koch the night before.
Authorities have not released a motive in the shooting.
Koch was shot in the left arm after he stopped a car on a county road between Silt and Rifle at just before midnight Tuesday. Two other shots fired at Koch were deflected by his bulletproof vest.
The shooter drove away in a Chevy Cobalt with Arizona plates that was later found 3 miles south of Silt. The shooter had fled on foot.
Koch was able to call for help and was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, where he underwent surgery and is listed in stable condition. He has declined to make any statements to the media at this time.
The shooting kicked off an intensive manhunt that included roadblocks on county roads and on Interstate 70.
Trooper Gilbert Mares said he doesn’t know the relationship between Graham and Appl. He also said investigators are not giving any more details on what part she played in the attempt to help Appl escape or whether she was connected to the Tuesday night shooting.
Graham posted an $8,250 bond Thursday and was released from the Garfield County Jail. She is scheduled to be advised of the charges against her Nov. 15.
Staff writer Nancy Lofholm can be reached at 970-256-1957 or nlofholm@denverpost.com.
