January 3, 2025 – CBI – Hartsel, CO – The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in partnership with the Park County Sheriff's Office and 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has obtained arrest warrants for two murder suspects captured in Poplarville, Mississippi for the homicide of a Hartsel man.
The arrest warrants for 46-year-old Johnny Rankin Morris and 43-year-old Hailey Cole list the following counts:
First Degree Murder – Intent/Deliberation (Felony) Aggravated Robbery (Felony) First Degree Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft (Felony) Tampering with Evidence of Felony Crime (Felony) Conspiracy (Felony)
They are accused of killing 65-year-old Timmy Huston sometime on December 19, 2024.
Also on December 19, 2024, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office began investigating the disappearance of 37-year-old Stephen Walker, who resided in a private residence where Johnny Rankin Morris was a housemate. El Paso Sheriff Detectives discovered a large pool of blood in the garage of the home where the two men lived.
On December 24, 2024 Park County Sheriff Deputies received a Welfare Check request for Timmy Huston. During that investigation a Deputy discovered Walker's car about 1.5 miles away from Huston's home. The Park County Sheriff's Office then contacted the El Paso County Sheriff's Office about its investigation.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office discovered Timmy Huston deceased inside his Hartsel, Colorado home later that day on December 24, 2024 and requested assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Law Enforcement put out an alert for Morris and Cole, who were believed to be traveling to their home state of Mississippi in Huston's truck, a Ford F250.
On December 28, 2024, the Lamar County Sheriff's Office [Mississippi] located the Ford F250 truck.
On December 30, 2024, Morris and Cole were arrested by the Pearl River County Sheriff's Office [Mississippi].
Questions about what charges Morris may face in El Paso County related to the homicide of Walker should be directed to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
The CBI and Park County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following law enforcement agencies from across the US for their assistance with this case including the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office (LA), Louisiana Fusion Center, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Real Time Crime Center, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office (MS), Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office (MS), Picayune Police Department (MS), Hattiesburg Police Department (MS), Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (CO), Aurora Police Department (CO), Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office (CO), Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (CO), Buena Vista Police Department (CO), Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Help from these law enforcement agencies and the citizens in local communities across Colorado, Louisiana, and Mississippi were essential to this case.
Any and all charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Further information will be shared as it becomes available.