A Colorado man and woman have been arrested in Mississippi and are now charged in connection with two murders in the Centennial State in December.
Johnny Rankin Morris faces charges of first degree murder in the death of his roommate, Stephen Walker, in El Paso County, as well as being charged along with Hailey Cole in connection with the death of another individual in Park County, as reported by KUSA.
Following the discovery of “large quantities of blood in multiple locations throughout the residence,” the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office initiated a search for Morris and Walker on December 19, treating them as missing persons, according to CrimeOnline. Subsequently, after the body of Timmy L. Huston, 65, was found in a nearby county, law enforcement declared Morris and Cole, aged 46 and 43 respectively, as persons of interest in Huston’s murder, with Walker also reported missing under suspicious circumstances.
Days later, the truck belonging to Huston was located in Lamar County, Mississippi. Soon after, Morris and Cole were apprehended on unrelated charges in Pearl River County.
Officials there said they received a call on the morning of December 30 saying a man matching Morris’s description was seen attempting to break into her vehicle, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies and Picayune Police officers responded and began a search of the area, finding Morris and Cole camped in a shed about 45 minutes later.
They were booked into the Pearl River County Jail on outstanding warrants from Lamar County, Wiggins, and the Mississippi Department of Corrections as well as new charges of commercial burglary and attempted residential burglary.
At some point, Walker’s body was found in a remote area of Park County, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday, and officials issued a murder warrant for Morris in the death of Walker. He is now awaiting extradition on the murder charge, as well as tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with physical evidence.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for both Morris and Cole for the murder of Huston. They are also charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy in that case.
