GoPro Camera, stolen airplane key elements in former firefighter’s murder investigation

Newly unsealed court documents outline the investigation into the murder of a former Colorado Springs firefighter.

Daryl Ritz, a 33-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Fire Department, was found murdered off Judge Orr Road on May 16. Ritz had been visiting his deceased father’s property. His dad’s home had been burglarized several times since his death.

Ritz was a truck driver for Pioneer Sand and he told a co-worker he’d be stopping by his father’s home after making a delivery in the area.

His co-worker started to get concerned when he hadn’t heard from Ritz so he asked El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies to check out the situation.

When deputies arrived at the property, they found Ritz’s car but they couldn’t find Ritz. They walked through the property and eventually found Ritz’s body covered with debris.

Ritz had a GoPro camera mounted on his dashboard. The camera had recorded Ritz arriving at the property and then walking behind a building. Then, the video shows Ritz came back into view and he was physically fighting a man. Ritz threw the man to the ground, but then the man got up and Ritz started to run. According to documents, the man shot Ritz four times. The criminal is captured on-camera dragging debris over Ritz’s body.

During their investigation, deputies saw that the door to Ritz’ father’s home had been broken open and saw a pipe used for smoking methamphetamine or crack cocaine next to the door.

Investigators looked into calls for service at the property. Ritz had reported that an airplane had been stolen from his father’s property. During that report, he had also said tools, a red jeep, engine parts and machines had been taken.

Deputies found the stolen plane at a property in Black Forest. In the court documents, investigators said the discovery of the airplane was critical to the investigation. When they showed up with a search warrant, investigators said Christopher Laxton was burning paperwork, which included with the victim’s name, in a fireplace.

During the interview, Laxton told investigators his friend had shot someone on the same property from which the items had been stolen.

After a series of interviews with acquaintances, deputies arrested Gustavo Torres-Gonzales.

Torres-Gonzales was formally charged for Ritz’s murder in June.

According to court documents, Torres-Gonzales told his friends he had killed someone and asked for help burying the body. The arrest affidavit also says Torres-Gonzales told his friends he was going to lay low for a while.

After a few days, Torres-Gonzales’ phone pinged in Black Forest and deputies were able to track him down and arrest him.

READ MORE: El Paso County homicide victim identified as former firefighter

To read the full affidavit, click here.