Pueblo West mom still seeking answers nearly 2 years after 13-year-old daughter’s murder

Nearly two years after her daughter's murder, a Pueblo West woman is still looking for answers.

Thirteen-year-old Hailey Perkins was killed in her bedroom in the early morning hours of June 27, 2022, and found dead in her room by her brother. She was killed one day short of her 14th birthday.

The teenager's death was initially deemed suspicious. Two days later, it was declared a homicide by the Pueblo County Coroner's Office.

A 'roll-with-the-punches' kind of kid: Mom shares memories of Perkins

Tanya Perkins, Hailey's mother, remembers seeing much of herself in her daughter, who she said was fast maturing into a young woman in her own right.

While Hailey Perkins was reserved with people she didn't know well, her mother remembered her as a "goofball" and a "roll-with-the-punches-and-have-fun kind of kid." She said Hailey "didn't care if you were popular, if you were smart, if you were a fighter or cheerleader. She got along with everyone."

Perkins was one of three siblings, with a twin brother and another brother 14 months older than her.

"It was like having triplets. When she was younger, she was so easygoing, but she was so headstrong," Tanya Perkins said. "I remember when she was like 4 and I gave them orange juice. And she's pouring it in this cup and that cup. I said, 'Hailey, you aren't a mixologist, drink your orange juice.' And without missing a beat, she says, 'How about I do what I want with my orange juice and you spank me."

"That was her, she was headstrong — she wasn't mouthy and out of line, but she was going to stand her ground," Perkins said.

Perkins recalled the morning she found out her daughter had been killed.

"I was in Colorado Springs when I got the call from her dad at like 10:30 the next morning. He said, 'Hailey is dead," Perkins recalled. "I get there probably 45 minutes later. I remember turning onto (Empress Drive) probably going about 100, and I see all the detectives lying across both driveways to stop me and for a split second I think, 'Just don't stop, they won't let me in if you do.' But I stopped because her twin brother was in the backseat of the car."

Has case gone cold? What we know about Perkins' murder investigation

While Perkins says she knows there were four or five boys in Hailey's room the night of her death, two of whom she says were likely the primary suspects of the investigation, no arrests have been made in the case.

The lack of arrests has left Perkins without closure.

"They have the two boys that were in the room with Hailey when she was shot. They have DNA from skin and hair that were under her nails, and they've got fingerprints on a (fortified wine) bottle that was broken in my neighbor's driveway. They've got all of that, yet there's no tangible proof; the two boys are pointing fingers at each other, saying, 'He did it.' 'He did it.'"

Gang tags were also drawn on Perkins' window, she said.

Perkins stated that prior to the shooting, a neighbor had also heard glass breaking outside her home. The neighbor confronted four teenage boys along with her 18-year-old son; two of the boys were on her side of the road, while two others were across the road with Hailey.

While Perkins' older brother and father were in the house, neither of them heard the gunshot, she said, with the brother wearing headphones and the father dealing with medical issues.

"My kids were always younger, and I had them at 30 so I was always more paranoid as to 'You can't go if I can't see you.' I wouldn't let them go down the road if I can't see them, I wouldn't let them sleep over at houses, I wouldn't let them do anything. Then they just walk into my house and shoot her in the back of the head and they leave. The detectives, I feel like they're not doing anything in the case at all."

When reached for comment, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office officials told the Chieftain they could not discuss any specifics about the case, but affirmed that they were still actively investigating.

The officials stated the PCSO continues to investigate leads, suspects and people of interest in the case and are "nowhere close" to declaring it a cold case.

However, Perkins questions why almost two years later, no arrests have been made.

"I know conspiracy to commit murder is a crime in Colorado ... there were four to five boys involved, why haven't any of them been charged? They're all 18-plus now," she said.

Perkins also stated that it has been almost a year since she has heard anything from investigators about her daughter's case.

'I cry every day': The fallout of Perkins' passing

Since her daughter's death, Perkins has lost almost everything, including her home. The devastating loss has also affected her personal relationships and her work.

Perkins' ex-husband, Hailey Perkins' father, deteriorated rapidly and died in October 2022 due to pre-existing medical issues, Perkins said.

"After, he stayed with one of his good friends from childhood down here because he had nobody either, but at that point I couldn't deal with him here, because I thought, 'Are you losing your mind because you heard something and did nothing, and she's coming to haunt you?"

The death has also affected Hailey's two siblings, who've experienced social troubles. One brother gave up on playing high school basketball, despite previous dreams of playing in the NBA, she said.

"That year, they lost their sister, they lost their dad, they lost their dog not long after that. Then we got evicted, because I didn't do anything for the year and couldn't function," she said.

"I cry every day, I can't hold anything down. Luckily I'm with Juicy Concentrates (a marijuana dispensary) and they're my saving grace job. Anyone else would have fired me."

Since getting evicted, the family, including three people and three cats, has been staying with friends during the week and in a car during weekends. While she is currently exploring options for aid, Perkins said one local agency that supports unhoused individuals could not help them because they have animals.

"One of those cats was my daughter's. I'm not parting with them," she said.

PCSO officials said the case continues to be a "high priority" for their agency.

"We ask anyone who has any information regarding this case to contact us or call Crime Stoppers," PCSO officials said.

The PCSO can be reached at 719-583-6125. To remain anonymous, contact Pueblo Crime Stoppers at 719-542-STOP (719-542-7867) or visit pueblocrimestoppers.com. Information that leads to a felony arrest could qualify its submitting party for a cash reward.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West mom seeks answers in slaying of 13-year-old Hailey Perkins