CO - Tim Watkins, 61, shot to death, Mount Herman, 14 Sept 2017 #1

[Angie3312]

Knowing ISP had stated they had been looking for him since July-if he were in the Colorado system that same day ISP began searching for DN why no alert �� coming up on him through the Nation Wide Police computers once a warrant was out on him??
Timeline:

• July 17: Indiana State Police released a composite sketch of the suspected Delphi killer.
• July 18: Investigation begins into Daniel Nations’ whereabouts after he failed to register his new address as part of his sex offender registry agreement and hadn’t reported his location for two months. He also missed a court appearance in Greenwood that day. After this moment, the Johnson County sheriff’s office seeks an arrest warrant for Nations for failure to register as a sex or violent offender.
• September 25: Daniel Nations was arrested in Woodland Park, Colorado at People’s Bank in a red car with an expired Indiana license plate that matched the description of a person threatening hikers with a hatchet. Police found a hatchet and a .22 caliber rifle in the car. A vehicle which matches the Colorado description is similar to the one he was driving when he was pulled over in

 

[minazoe]

I am interested to see how quickly DN is extradited, will they wait, or grab him this week?

I personally think when he gets to Indiana the party is over,

hope I'm not wrong, hope KN can come clean..

I believe the story she tells of a truck running them off Mt Herman road, is really the story of TW on his bike, and that she didn't turn to see because she knew what was happening. I too belIeve that he threw that hatchet and chased TW with his gun, and shot him dead.

Mr Rage.

MOO

 

[Shiressleuth]

Thanks for that link, Angie. I grabbed another quick SS. To the far right of his name is a box with two options, "Traffic" or "Penal" and on DN's citation "Penal" is checked off. This LE stop was at a gas station, as you said. I wonder if KN was driving when they were pulled over, hence the reason DN was not issued a citation that fell under Traffic. Maybe she was just issued a verbal warning? Or, maybe they weren't driving. Perhaps they were at the gas station and something was going on there. They are a SNAP retailer (link below). Maybe a questionable attempt to purchase, DN got angry, LE was called, something along those lines? Pure speculation. Also below DN's name where his address would go it says Transient in CO. KN probably used her IN license for ID, so maybe that raised some questions with LE as far as DN's ID? I'm curious to know what prompted the encounter with LE and how he provided false info (fake ID, invalid IN license or just lied?).

Also googling that phone # he gave I get a result that says it's a Boost Mobile # with a CO area code. Burner phone?
All MHO.

gas station store: http://www.ebtcardbalance.com/valero-corner-store-4111-snap-retailer-colorado-eld34688

Great sleuthing guys. Maybe they were buying that phone? Do you need id if you buy a burner with cash?

Re. The JoCo warrant, I don't think it was issued till 29 Sep IIRC.

 

[FrostedGlass]

Colorado has (DN's):
his gun
his hatchet
his car
his belongings
his phone (likely IMO)
his DNA from every orifice on his body (likely IMO)
his boot prints
his fingerprints

Co likely has (TW):
touch DNA from moving the body
fingerprints from moving the bike
footprints from the above activity
shell casings
other evidence

What more do they need to convict DN:
???

IMO DN did not kill TW, Abby or Libby.

 

[Shiressleuth]

Colorado has (DN's):
his gun
his hatchet
his car
his belongings
his phone (likely IMO)
his DNA from every orifice on his body (likely IMO)
his boot prints
his fingerprints

Co likely has (TW):
touch DNA from moving the body
fingerprints from moving the bike
footprints from the above activity
shell casings
other evidence

What more do they need to convict DN:
???

IMO DN did not kill TW, Abby or Libby.

A confession would be helpful.

There was 11 days between the murder and DN's arrest. I don't think he would have kept the gun.
We don't know a hatchet was used.
He would likely have taken the gloves TW had on so as to leave no prints. I don't recall the gloves were retrieved.
I don't believe the car was used in the murder.
Footprints are very unlikely in that terrain AFAIK.
I don't believe he has left DNA

There are similarities to Delphi. That is proving hard to solve and this will be similar IMO.

I think Co are deferring to In as they are hopefully further along in their investigation.
:cow:

 

[Jax49]

A confession would be helpful.

There was 11 days between the murder and DN's arrest. I don't think he would have kept the gun.
We don't know a hatchet was used.
He would likely have taken the gloves TW had on so as to leave no prints. I don't recall the gloves were retrieved.
I don't believe the car was used in the murder.
Footprints are very unlikely in that terrain AFAIK.
I don't believe he has left DNA

There are similarities to Delphi. That is proving hard to solve and this will be similar IMO.

I think Co are deferring to In as they are hopefully further along in their investigation.
; cow:

bbm

I'm confused about the gun -- didn't they find it in their possession? TIA

O/T - I'm hoping Tricia and mods will reopen the A&L thread. I thought most of us had been on our best behavior.

moo

 

[ocgrad]

I've heard the body was found before the descent into Limbaugh.
I think both shoes were found but in different locations.
MOO There could have been 2 possible reasons it was stashed. 1. to get it later. 2. time to escape.



Riding up you're going very, very slow. There just really isn't any potential for conflicts. And then how do you take that confrontation from Mt Herman Rd trailhead to the top of Limbaugh, which is about a 5 minute, 1/2 mile ride IIRC. It has a 20% grade in one spot and probably averages 10%.

Look at this track.
https://www.strava.com/activities/29602481
zoom in and go from Mt Herman Rd to the top (that's where his body was.). You can get information on the grade and distance in the profile window. Click and it will show you the spot on the map.

I'm thinking TW snuck up on DN poaching or playing with his privates. Both meant jail time. We know they didn't have money for food. And we also know DN has a history of public you know what.

I appreciate your local knowledge of the road and trails. I'm not able to see it, tracks or whatever but I take your word for it.
When you say the ride up is slow, couldn't that frustrate someone in a vehicle on MHR who can't get around a biker who is going so slow? Then it seems strange to think that if attacked on the road that TW would ride or run up a very steep trail to get away, unless he had already started on the trail where the altercation continued or escalated. Would there have been anywhere else to go less steep and difficult? Or is going on up the only option? His body was said to be several feet off the trail. So when you get off the trail is the surrounding terrain less steep leveled out some or even down a bit. It also seems unlikely that DN would carry his body up a very steep trail if he had another alternative but I can imagine he would have been worried of being seen on the road.
I had not heard both shoes were found. That is new info. Was the first shoe found there at the end of MHR where the trail begins? I saw on a forum that his bike had a flat. Several scenarios are possible there, but if the killer were shooting at him, missed and got his tire that would be a pretty obvious thing and it seems would have been mentioned in those early posts on FB and the biking forum don't you think? Or if it was whacked with a hatchet it didn't look much different than another type of puncture. Or maybe the killer tried to ride it down and without skill hit a rock and punctured the tire himself. If so, the more interaction he had with TW and his bike and shoes and stuff the more chance he should have left prints and DNA.

 

[ocgrad]

bbm

I'm confused about the gun -- didn't they find it in their possession? TIA

O/T - I'm hoping Tricia and mods will reopen the A&L thread. I thought most of us had been on our best behavior.

moo

A gun of the same caliber, not proven it was the gun.

 

[Jax49]

A gun of the same caliber, not proven it was the gun.

I'm thinking either the ballistics didn't match, there was too much damage to test, or it was a different gun. Which leaves me wondering how DN/KN would have obtained another.

moo

 

[kizzykat]

Thinking about a possible encounter scenarios something just occurred to me, there was MSM mention of finding TW's belongings, but no mention that I can recall of them finding his parked vehicle somewhere. Does anyone recall seeing anything about that? I'm wondering if he would he have driven his vehicle to the trail and unloaded his bike or if he lived close enough that he could've just ridden his bike from home to the trail?

 

[ocgrad]

A confession would be helpful.

There was 11 days between the murder and DN's arrest. I don't think he would have kept the gun.
We don't know a hatchet was used.
He would likely have taken the gloves TW had on so as to leave no prints. I don't recall the gloves were retrieved.
I don't believe the car was used in the murder.
Footprints are very unlikely in that terrain AFAIK.
I don't believe he has left DNA

There are similarities to Delphi. That is proving hard to solve and this will be similar IMO.

I think Co are deferring to In as they are hopefully further along in their investigation.
:cow:

I'm editing this post because I realize getting rid of the gun doesn't have to mean tossing it and he could have traded for a different gun or stolen one. 11 days after the murder or 8 days after the discovery of the body. That is a lot of time.

 

[ocgrad]

Thinking about a possible encounter scenarios something just occurred to me, there was MSM mention of finding TW's belongings, but no mention that I can recall of them finding his parked vehicle somewhere. Does anyone recall seeing anything about that? I'm wondering if he would he have driven his vehicle to the trail and unloaded his bike or if he lived close enough that he could've just ridden his bike from home to the trail?

He is believed to have left his home on his bike.

 

[kkdj]

I'm thinking either the ballistics didn't match, there was too much damage to test, or it was a different gun. Which leaves me wondering how DN/KN would have obtained another.

moo

steal

 

[FrostedGlass]

A confession would be helpful.

There was 11 days between the murder and DN's arrest. I don't think he would have kept the gun.
We don't know a hatchet was used.
He would likely have taken the gloves TW had on so as to leave no prints. I don't recall the gloves were retrieved.
I don't believe the car was used in the murder.
Footprints are very unlikely in that terrain AFAIK.
I don't believe he has left DNA

There are similarities to Delphi. That is proving hard to solve and this will be similar IMO.

I think Co are deferring to In as they are hopefully further along in their investigation.
:cow:

So now you think he had 2 guns? One he threw away and one he kept?
It's been suggested that the hatchet was used. If so, it would have had blood on it. MOO
DN lived in his car; I'm sure he left a lot of his DNA in it.
The body was covered with leaves and twigs. There's a good chance the soil is moist below the debris.

Most similarities to Delphi are purely speculation.

 

[ocgrad]

I'm thinking either the ballistics didn't match, there was too much damage to test, or it was a different gun. Which leaves me wondering how DN/KN would have obtained another.

moo

Could he have gone to a pawn shop and basically traded?! Would a pawn dealer do that? If his rifle had a scope, something that made it more valuable but he made an excuse that his wife couldn't shoot it or load it and he wanted a different one. Is that feasible? Or possibly he knew someone in the homeless community who had a rifle without something his had and he made an untraceable trade. I never thought of that he might have traded for a different gun! My husband makes trades all the time to get something with different sights or scope or muzzle. Again KN would know that.

 

[Jax49]

Could he have gone to a pawn shop and basically traded?! Would a pawn dealer do that? If his rifle had a scope, something that made it more valuable but he made an excuse that his wife couldn't shoot it or load it and he wanted a different one. Is that feasible? Or possibly he knew someone in the homeless community who had a rifle without something his had and he made an untraceable trade. I never thought of that he might have traded for a different gun! My husband makes trades all the time to get something with different sights or scope or muzzle. Again KN would know that.

Not a clue, but it's a thought. I'd think if a pawn shop did trade (don't know if they do that kind of thing) they'd have contacted LE. If he traded with another transient they might not be aware of the murder?

moo

 

[minazoe]

I'm thinking either the ballistics didn't match, there was too much damage to test, or it was a different gun. Which leaves me wondering how DN/KN would have obtained another.

moo

maybe there were 2 guns all along, maybe even two hatchets..the The His 'n Her's Psychopath Collection.

MOO

 

[ocgrad]

Great sleuthing guys. Maybe they were buying that phone? Do you need id if you buy a burner with cash?

Re. The JoCo warrant, I don't think it was issued till 29 Sep IIRC.

If you buy a phone at a retailer you need an ID which KN has. Or if you buy a phone from an individual on Craigslist or at a flea market you don't have to have an ID.

 

[Shiressleuth]

bbm

I'm confused about the gun -- didn't they find it in their possession? TIA

O/T - I'm hoping Tricia and mods will reopen the A&L thread. I thought most of us had been on our best behavior.

moo

They found a gun in his possession, bought recently according to KN around the time of her birthday. I don't think we know the exact date.
My point is if DN shot TW he wouldn't still have the gun 11 days later would he? Especially with his propensity for getting pulled over.

Maybe the murder weapon was swopped or pawned to get a different one? There would be records of that right?

Moo

 

[Shiressleuth]

So now you think he had 2 guns? One he threw away and one he kept?
It's been suggested that the hatchet was used. If so, it would have had blood on it. MOO
DN lived in his car; I'm sure he left a lot of his DNA in it.
The body was covered with leaves and twigs. There's a good chance the soil is moist below the debris.

Most similarities to Delphi are purely speculation.

The similarities are not speculation. Of course DN's DNA is in his car. Point is whether TW transfer DNA is in his car and whether they have their stuff back or not. I don't think he had two guns at the same time but they had recently purchased the one they had. I do think it likely he had more than one hatchet though. However, they could well have had a his and hers gun at some point, it's not impossible.
Moo