Arrest made in missing persons case turned homicide investigation near Woodlake Trailhead
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) says that its office has arrested someone after investigating a homicide in a field near the Woodlake Trailhead.
The trailhead is located near Hodgen Road and Eastonville Road.
The sheriff's office says they were called out around 3:45 a.m. on Monday morning. A person had been reported missing in the Cimarron Hills area, EPSO says.
Deputies began to use cell data to try and ping the missing person's phone.
EPSO says deputies were able to locate the missing person's car off Spectrum Loop. Spectrum Loop is the road that surrounds the Ford Amphitheater. The vehicle showed signs that a "potential crime" occurred, deputies say. EPSO says there was evidence in the car leading them to believe that someone had been injured.
Deputies then spoke to someone, whom they have not named, who gave them information tipping them off to search the area near Woodlake Trailhead. There, deputies say they found the body of the missing person near the intersection of Eastonville and Hodgen Roads.
"We do know that there was a traffic crash involved in this homicide. And it did occur in this intersection. That's what was the main key in locating this individual," Sergeant Kurt Smith with EPSO said.
This evening, the sheriff's office announced they've arrested 27-year-old Khayla Dawson.
Dawson is charged with 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Motor Vehicle Theft.
KRDO13 Investigates learned that Dawson is a former athlete with Olympic Dreams. In 2024, she competed at the USA Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in the shot put. According to the Colorado Chapter of the USATF, she placed 22nd overall with a distance of 16.86m. The top three make the Olympic team.
According to the Secretary of State Business Database, she now runs her own cybersecurity/AI company.
The sheriff's office has not yet publicly released the name of the missing person whose body they found.
"While we are confident that we've located all of the individuals involved, we do not know the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident, and we're still investigating to determine that," said Sergeant Smith.
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