Defense wants separate trials for 2 Colorado Springs men charged with murder

Two Colorado Springs men charged with murder for killing three people in November 2016 were in court Monday to request separate trials.

Police say Richard Spanks and Haywood Miller are responsible for killing a 21-year-old man, and two women, aged 33 and 23. However, Spanks says Miller is the sole person who committed the crimes, and Miller says he wasn’t at the scenes of the crime.

The first killing happened Nov. 2016 at an apartment complex on Carmel Drive. Three days later, two women were found shot dead inside their home off Mosswood Lane.

Spanks and Miller’s defense attorneys filed a motion requesting the two men be tried separately. El Paso County prosecutors say they committed the crimes together and should be tried together.

The judge will issue a ruling on that request within the next few days.