Suspect in 2022 double-homicide of Arkansas couple in Fremont County found dead day later
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Monday, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) named a suspect in the double-homicide investigation of an Arkansas couple. However, that suspect was reportedly found dead a day after the killings.
On July 16, 2022, hikers found 29-year-old Morgan Apple and 31-year-old Shawn Apple dead in the Phantom Canyon area.
One day later, on Sunday, July 17, 2022, the sheriff's office said the apparent suicide of 18-year-old Jeffrey Michael Harris in Cañon City was linked to the death of the Apple's.
The Sheriff's office said, "Mr. Harris was linked to the homicides of Shawn and Morgan Apple through forensic evidence, ballistic evidence, and digital media records."
But the connection wasn't made until nearly seven months after the deaths. Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper said this is because of a six to 10 month evidence backlog with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations.
“It takes us 6 to 10 months to get a lot of this evidence back," Cooper said. "The reason for that is there's very few resources that are available to law enforcement that do forensic analysis.”
He said most law enforcement agencies don't have their own forensic teams and have to submit evidence to the CBI. This meant the families of Shawn and Morgan had to wait seven months for answers.
"It took them that long to give us any information," said LaVerne Carter, Morgan's grandma. "When we would call them, they would say that they had several leads and once they got something definite, then they would contact us."
Cooper said Harris had no criminal history but had "homicidal leanings", according to family and friends.
"It's just hard to imagine that an 18-year-old could kill both of them and for no reason," Carter said.
While knowing the suspect in the double homicide does answer a couple questions, the family said it doesn't have any closure and is still pondering the biggest question — why?
"I think the hardest part is that we don't have all the details yet and we're not going to," said Gracie Mason, Morgan's sister. "We don't really know exactly. We don't know anything really."
