Autopsies today could help determine whether a man or woman found in their home near Rangely fired the 12-gauge shotgun believed to be the murder weapon, authorities say.
The couple, who have three grown children, were found dead after the husband failed to go to work at a Chevron plant where he had been employed for at least 15 years, Rio Blanco County Undersheriff Michael Joos said.
Tests will determine whether one of the two fired the shotgun believed to be the murder weapon, Joos said today. The weapon was found in the home, he said.
One possible scenario is a murder-suicide. Both people died of gunshot wounds to the head, Joos said.
“We’re looking at every possibility,” he said. “We haven’t ruled anything out.”
Family members have been notified but the names of the two dead are being withheld until the Mesa County coroner’s office confirms their identities, Joos said.
The couple’s vehicles were found parked in front of their home on Rio Blanco County 102 near the Utah state line. The investigation inside the home began about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Joos said.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation also is involved in the inquiry, he said.
Chevron coworkers called the Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Department when the man didn’t show up for work.
“He was never late, ever,” Joos said. “Something was wrong.”
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
