Accused killer claims mother of his children died ‘on her own,’ evidence says otherwise
Editor's note: This article includes graphic information about suicide.
FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) - Court documents shed light on the investigation surrounding the homicide of a young mother, allegedly killed by a man she had children with. According to investigators, the suspect claimed she died by suicide - but the evidence says otherwise.
According to the arrest affidavit, officers responded to a reported suicide in the backyard of a house in the 400 block of Mount View Ln. at 6:55 a.m. on July 26. At the scene, the suspect, 29-year-old Miles James Kirby, claimed he had found "his common-law wife" dead, claiming she died by suicide in a shed in their backyard.
Kirby told the Fountain Fire Department and Fountain Police Department that he and the victim, Joslyn Jenee Teetzel, had argued the previous night about the house not being clean. According to the affidavit, Kirby claimed he looked for Teetzel around midnight and saw her trying to get inside the shed. He claimed he "made sure the shed was locked" and brought Teetzel back inside.
The affidavit states Kirby claimed he woke up at 6 a.m., couldn't find Teetzel, and went into the backyard. That's when Kirby claimed he went into the shed and saw her dead. According to the affidavit, Kirby claimed: "he knew she did it on her own," about her death.
From there, Kirby told first responders he picked up Teetzel's body, put her in a chair, untied her, then carried her into the yard and laid her on a table. After allegedly doing some chest compressions, Kirby said he contacted one of his neighbors for help - that neighbor was the one who called 911.
In the affidavit, investigators note Teetzel was "clearly deceased" when first responders got there. A detective noted there were distinct marks and, based on his training and experience, the nature of the death Kirby was claiming happened would not typically leave those kinds of deep wounds.
According to the affidavit, investigators were able to access the saved video from the doorbell and side view security camera, but there wasn't a saved video from the security camera that pointed to the backyard and shed.
Still, after reviewing the available security footage, the affidavit states investigators saw Kirby walking quickly from the backyard to the driveway, where he opened the driver's door of his vehicle, leans inside, and then returns to the backyard. In that video, Kirby can reportedly be heard saying:
Before leaving the scene, investigators spoke with the victim's mother who told police that two of Teetzel's children who live in the house with the couple told her there was a "physical disturbance" between Teetzel and Kirby and that Kirby was beating Teetzel. During a subsequent forensic interview with the children, the affidavit states they both confirmed a "physical disturbance" did happen between the couple the night before Teetzel's death and continued for several hours into the next day, July 16.
Kirby was taken to the Fountain Police Department to be further interviewed. According to the affidavit, Kirby made "several inconsistent statements." He denied getting physical with Teetzel, claiming she was the one who slapped him. He also accused the children of "lying."
The affidavit states Kirby denied saying he wanted to kill Teetzel, but admitted he was angry while looking for her, only because "he injured his toe" and the house was messy.
During this interview, the affidavit states Kirby changed how he handled Teetzel's body after allegedly finding her. He denied putting her body in the chair in the shed despite investigators saying the neighbor said Teetzel was in the chair when she first arrived.
Kirby was released after the interview only to be arrested on July 27.
His arrest came after the investigating detective spoke with the medical examiner at the El Paso County Coroner's Office. According to the affidavit, the medical examiner said his opinion on Teetzel's cause of death was strangulation, but her manner of death was homicide.
Kirby faces the charges of Murder in the First Degree and Tampering with a Deceased Human Body.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
