A Colorado man has been arrested in Arizona on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection to the disappearance of his former girlfriend.
Donovan Walsh, 43, is a suspect in the disappearance and presumed death of 32-year-old Alicia Banks-Newton, according to Arvada police.
On Friday, police conducted a welfare check at Banks-Newton’s apartment, 7655 W. 67th Ave., after family members of Walsh told police that “he was involved in her death,” according to a news release.
Walsh was convicted in an October 2019 Jefferson County domestic violence case of assault and menacing, in which he strangled Banks-Newton multiple times and punched her face bloody, according to the current first-degree murder warrant. Banks-Newton had a protection order against Walsh banning any contact. She had a court hearing scheduled Wednesday in Jefferson County but failed to show up.
June 7th, Donovan Walsh 43, was arrested, in AZ, on a 1st Deg murder warrant. Walsh was wanted in connection with the suspected death of Alicia Newton age 32. After a welfare check, a scene investigation of Newton's apt. led to evidence for the warrant, investigation ongoing.
— Arvada Police (@ArvadaPolice)
Walsh’s mother, Jinean Florom, 59, of Arizona, told authorities on Friday that Walsh arrived at her home acting erratic and driving an SUV with Banks-Newton’s dogs inside the vehicle but she was not seen.
Weeks earlier, on April 27, Walsh had told his mother by telephone that he had stabbed “Ally” 15 times, according to the warrant, and that he then blacked out and when he became alert, she had been dead for up to three days. Florom told Walsh to turn himself into police at the time, but he refused.
The next time Florom heard from Walsh was on Friday, when he was at her property gate in Arizona. She was afraid for her safety, the affidavit said. “Donovan will hurt me,” she told investigators. “He’s dangerous.”
On Friday, Walsh again told Florom that he had stabbed Banks-Newton, the warrant said, but he wouldn’t tell her anything more. Walsh drove off in the SUV and Florom called authorities.
Officers searched Banks-Newton’s Arvada apartment on Friday and found two snakes, one dead and one alive. Two rats were running loose in the apartment and a dead rat was found in a cage. Animal feces was found piled up in the apartment. Animal management officers said there are about a half-dozen animal cruelty violations found at the apartment, which was in disarray.
The bathroom, however, was recently cleaned and the shower curtain had been removed. Several towels and containers of bleach were seized as evidence in the case. Investigators used a chemical inside the apartment and found evidence of blood in a bedroom.
On late Friday afternoon, Walsh called Florom asking her for money and he mentioned he’d need “a place to hide (the body),” the warrant said.
Over the weekend, investigators began pinging the phone Walsh used to call his mother.
On Sunday, Walsh was found in the area of Globe, Ariz., and he was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, evidence tampering, domestic violence and violation of a protection order.
As of Monday afternoon, police had not recovered a body in the case. An investigation is ongoing.
