Halfway house escapee charged with El Paso County murder through jail phone calls, DNA evidence
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado Springs man, who had allegedly escaped from a halfway house in Denver in April, has been charged with the 2nd degree-murder of 30-year-old Jermaine Trevion Wilson on May 24, 2022, at the 4600 block of Old Stage Road.
After months of investigation, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect in the killing as 30-year-old Marquis Dunlap. 13 Investigates has learned Dunlap was in a halfway house in Denver after serving a 4-year Department of Corrections sentence after pleading guilty to escape from conviction in 2017, court records say.
According to a federal indictment obtained by 13 Investigates, Dunlap "did knowingly escape from custody in Independence House, an institutional facility in which he was lawfully confined at the direction of the Attorney General." The indictment says he allegedly escaped on April 15, a month and half before allegedly committing murder.
The arrest affidavit for Dunlap says was taken into custody on May 31 after being contacted while driving on I-25 in the springs. Dunlap was taken to the El Paso County jail on a federal no bond warrant. 9 days later, Dunlap was federally charged and has been the Bureau of Federal Prisons ever since after being denied bond in federal court.
Old Stage Road Murder
Investigators with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office were able to link Dunlap to the murder of Wilson by jail phones between Dunlap and his girlfriend. During a jail phone call on June 5, Dunlap's girlfriend allegedly told him "you did it, you were mad as ****, you did it, it happened."
In another phone call between the pair on June 14, Dunlap's girlfriend told him a family member told her "anyone close to Marquis and Laina (the girlfriend's name) ends up dying, its got to be them."
Three days later, Dunlap allegedly told Laina, "it's a dog-eat-dog world and he is going to make it home at night." However, Dunlap says that if he would have murdered Wilson "they wouldn't have found his body." He alleges he would have burnt the body, leaving little evidence behind.
Dunlap was connected to the murder through DNA evidence as well. On August 10, investigators received a DNA lab report back after multiple items from his apartment were tested. A plaid hoodie, belonging to Dunlap, had several bloodstains that matched to Wilson's DNA profile. Further testing found a mixture of DNA on other bloodstains belonging to Dunlap and Wilson.
Dunlap is being held in federal prison on no bond.
