The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance in a missing person(s) case that has evolved into a multi-county investigation with potential ties to homicide. Authorities were initially called to a scene on Pima Drive on December 19, where they discovered alarming amounts of blood. Following this discovery, two men, John Rankin Morris, 46, and Stephen Walker, 37, were reported missing from El Paso County, as mentioned by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
In a plea for assistance, the sheriff's office shared that a black 2013 Audi A4 with the license plate MYZFYT is connected to the case. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance raised enough concern to issue a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) alert. Coalition with Park County officials led them to Park County on December 24th, where they found the Audi abandoned near Hartsel, Colorado, as per the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was situated about half a mile from a residence tied to the missing person(s).
Tragically, an adult male was found dead at a nearby residence, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation along with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is involved in what now appears to be a possible homicide. The identity of the deceased is withheld pending the results of an autopsy by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office. The sheriff's office continued their alert, stating that they were also searching for a blue 1994 Ford F-150 with a "HUNTER" sticker and the license plate TQQ039, which could be in Colorado, or possibly headed to Mississippi.
In a troubling twist, more individuals have been drawn into the web of this unfolding narrative. Stephen Walker is described as missing under suspicious circumstances, and Johnny Rankin Morris is considered a person of interest. A third individual, Hailey Diane Cole, 43, is also described as a person of interest in the case. Both Morris and Cole are considered armed and dangerous, and if encountered, the sheriff's office urges the public to contact 9-1-1 and not to approach them. The agency has called on anyone with potential information regarding these cases, or the whereabouts of the missing F-150 pickup, to reach out to the designated communications center at 719-390-5555, as per the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
This is an active and ongoing investigation with several law enforcement agencies involved, underscoring the complexity and severity of the case. The sheriff's office reassured that they will provide additional details to the public as they become available in the continued efforts to resolve this disturbing incident and bring those responsible to justice.
