What we know about 2015 Loveland shootings investigation ahead of evidence hearing
Several years after a spate of apparently random shootings shocked the Northern Colorado community, information about the only arrest made in connection to a few of the shootings has been scarce.
An upcoming hearing will be the first time investigators will share evidence publicly in this case.
The man charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of William Connole, 65, and the attempted murder of a motorcyclist in Loveland the night of June 3, 2015, is scheduled to appear in court Monday and Tuesday — Oct. 10 and 11 — for an evidence hearing in his case. The hearing is scheduled to continue Oct. 24.
Investigators haven't said why they suspect the man — Christopher Parker, now 39 — committed these shootings. He was arrested more than four years ago, in March 2018, and his arrest documents remain sealed to the public.
Connole's shooting is among multiple 2015 shootings investigated by the Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force. The task force formed just prior to Connole's death to investigate shootings that left John Jacoby, 47, dead and then-20-year-old Cori Romero injured in spring 2015. There have been no arrests in those shootings.
Task force investigators ultimately forensically linked the shootings of Jacoby and Romero together and the shootings of Connole and the motorcyclist together, but they found no evidence linking the pairs of incidents to each other or to a single perpetrator.
The task force is also investigating a pair of linked shootings at two buildings in September 2015.
Parker has been the only person arrested as a result of the task force's investigation into these shootings.
Parker's case was at a standstill for nearly three years while he received mental health treatment to restore his mental competency so he could stand trial. Here's what we know about the allegations against Parker and the investigation leading up to the evidentiary hearing:
June 3, 2015: William Connole, 65, is shot to death while walking near the intersection of East First Street and St. Louis Avenue in Loveland about 11 p.m. Earlier that night, someone shoots at a motorcyclist in Loveland, but the motorcyclist is not hit by gunfire.
June 4, 2015: Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force investigators do not tie the shooting of Connole and the motorcyclist to the previous shootings in Northern Colorado.
June 23, 2015: Law enforcement agencies reveal a vehicle of interest in the shootings — a 1970s burnt orange truck.
April 6, 2016: Larimer County commissioners signal they will grant a $33,000 request by the sheriff’s office to extend the lease on a building at an undisclosed location that houses the task force. The task force continues to operate at an undisclosed location in the region.
April 26, 2016: The task force breaks a monthslong silence and unveils new visuals, including surveillance video of possible vehicles of interest in shootings at two buildings in September 2015. The task force groups the six incidents into three pairs, with forensic evidence connecting each pair. Officials also confirm the Coloradoan’s reporting that Connole died as a result of a close-range shotgun blast.
May 21, 2017: The Coloradoan revisits the shootings around their two-year anniversary mark. Authorities provide no new information about the shootings but confirm the number of investigators assigned to the cases is dwindling, and the cases are inching toward cold case designations.
March 13, 2018: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrest Parker on suspicion of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in connection with Connole's death and the shooting at the motorcyclist.
March 20, 2018: Parker has his first court appearance in front of Judge Susan Blanco. The case is reset several times at the defense's request so Parker's attorneys can review "the massive amount of information" coming from the shooting task force.
Oct. 17, 2018: Parker's defense attorneys request a judge order a mental competency evaluation.
Dec. 20, 2018: Parker is declared mentally incompetent to proceed in the case. Another competency evaluation is ordered.
June 7, 2019: Parker is declared mentally incompetent to proceed for a second time.
June 19, 2020: Parker appears in court virtually from the RISE facility in Arapahoe County, where he is undergoing restoration treatment. State mental health officials at the facility say Parker is refusing to take prescribed medication.
June 23, 2020: The Larimer County Coroner's Office releases Connole's autopsy report after a Colorado State University student filed a lawsuit against the office for refusing to release it. In the report, the coroner reported observing at least 19 shotgun entry wounds in Connole's chest, shoulder and neck and at least four exit wounds.
June 8, 2021: Parker is determined competent to proceed by state mental health officials after about two years of restoration treatment.
June 30, 2022:An evidence hearing is scheduled in the case.
October 2022: The evidence hearing, scheduled to take place over multiple days this month, is expected to provide the first glimpse into this investigation since Parker's arrest.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
How to submit tips to the Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force
The Northern Colorado Shooting Task Force is still monitoring similar shootings across the country to watch for similarities, sheriff's office spokesperson David Moore said. Investigators are also available to follow up on leads or tips submitted by the public.
Tips can be submitted by calling 970-498-5595 or emailing taskforce@larimer.org.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Hearing set for suspect in 2015 Loveland shootings that killed man, 65
