In Clear Creek County, Colorado, the Sheriff’s Office made a public statement on Tuesday, revealing the second arrest linked to the 2024 murder of Paul Peavey, a 57-year-old Doberman breeder from Idaho Springs.
Ana Ferrer, the wife of the main suspect, Sergio Ferrer, both 36 years old, was taken into custody on Friday at the Clear Creek County Jail for charges of being an accessory, theft, and tampering with evidence.
Sergio Ferrer was apprehended on August 24, 2024, and faced a first-degree murder charge in connection to the death of Peavey. Peavey’s body, without its head, was discovered by a search party near his trailer on Virginia Canyon Road in Clear Creek County on the same day.
Denver7 reported on Sergio Ferrer’s arrest the day it happened — you can watch that breaking story below.
Suspect identified in Paul Peavey homicide case out of Clear Creek County
The 57-year-old Doberman breeder was first reported missing to the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 21, 2024. The whereabouts of several Doberman puppies from Peavey’s property that are believed to have gone missing around the time of his death remains unknown.
During a January court hearing, it was revealed that Peavey had previously denied selling Sergio Ferrer a puppy. However, it’s not clear if that decision played a role in Peavey’s murder.
Evidence presented during January’s court hearing included witness testimonies, items seized from Sergio Ferrer’s property, and a Doberman puppy sold for $775 that was traced back to Sergio Ferrer after a Denver-area vet called authorities about a puppy brought to them by a unsuspecting client.
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Sergio Ferrer initially denied involvement in Peavey’s murder but later claimed self-defense, alleging Peavey was linked to a drug cartel, according to an arrest affidavit.
The autopsy revealed Peavey died from gunshot wounds, with forensic analysis confirming a bullet entry and exit in his skull.
Sergio Ferrer remains in jail on murder and aggravated robbery charges. Ana Ferrer’s bond was set at $25,000, and she is still in custody.
On Aug. 28, 2024, a few days after Peavey’s body was found, Clear Creek County Sheriff Matt Harris apologized in a statement for not doing enough to search for Peavey after the initial missing person’s report.
Denver7 Investigates spoke one-on-one with Sheriff Harris last year.
“Our initial response was unacceptable,” Harris told Denver7 Investigates in August. “For lack of a better phrase, we blew it off and didn’t investigate it thoroughly.”
Watch Denver7 Investigates’ August 2024 interview with Sheriff Harris in the video below.
Clear Creek Sheriff takes responsibility for missteps during Paul Peavey death investigation
Harris said that Peavey was first reported missing after he hadn’t been heard from for 48 hours, and while a deputy called the reporting party back, they did not go out to Peavey’s property.
The next day, the reporting party called again and spoke to a different deputy who entered Peavey as a missing person in state and national databases. The deputy went to Peavey’s property, interviewed several people, pinged his cell phone location, and requested a welfare check in the county where Peavey was planning to move.
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Peavey murder arrest result of good police work, community cooperation: Sheriff
Harris said his office should have searched the property more thoroughly, shared information on social media, and participated in the search.
“Somebody called our department asking for assistance, and we didn’t investigate it thoroughly,” Harris told Denver7 Investigates. “It’s very disappointing, but it is what it is. We failed, and we didn’t handle it correctly. As humans, we often learn from mistakes, and this is certainly going to be a learning experience for our agency.”
