Two people accused of fatally bludgeoning two Colorado men in December 2024 pleaded not guilty in El Paso County court on Friday, setting the stage for a pair of closely watched murder trials later this year. Johnny Morris, 48, and Hailey Cole, 44, entered pleas to first- and second-degree murder and related charges as judges locked in separate jury trial dates. Family members of the two men who died filled the courtroom, and both defendants remain behind bars while the case moves forward after a weeklong multiagency investigation last winter.
What prosecutors say
Prosecutors told the court that Morris and Cole are charged in the deaths of 37-year-old Stephen Walker and 65-year-old Timmy Huston, and also face counts of aggravated robbery and motor vehicle theft. Investigators say Walker was attacked with a hammer and a dumbbell, and that Huston was shot in the kneecap before also being struck in the head with a hammer. Prosecutors have alleged the killings were driven by the pair’s need for a car. Morris is set to go before a jury on Aug. 11 in a trial expected to last eight days, while Cole’s case is scheduled to begin Nov. 10 and run nine days, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette.
How they were arrested
The arrests followed a multiagency investigation that stretched across El Paso and Park counties, with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation working alongside local deputies during the winter probe. After a nationwide search, authorities located Morris and Cole in Mississippi and took them into custody. Early court filings in Park County showed bond amounts set at $5 million on the initial charges, according to KKTV.
Court logistics and the recusal question
At Friday’s hearing, Judge Amy Cano, now assigned to Division 2, disclosed that she worked at the El Paso County district attorney’s office last year and gave Cole’s defense team time to decide whether to seek her recusal. “We’re looking at it,” defense attorney Alex Steiner told the court, according to The Colorado Springs Gazette. If Cano steps aside, the case would be reassigned to another judge, and Cole’s Nov. 10 trial date could shift. The Colorado Judicial Branch lists Amy Cullen Cano as a district court judge in El Paso County.
Legal stakes
Under Colorado law, a first-degree murder conviction can result in a life sentence in prison, and Morris and Cole also face several additional felony counts that carry their own substantial prison exposure if they are found guilty. Penalties and elements for murder, aggravated robbery, and related offenses are spelled out in state law, and pretrial motions and evidentiary rulings are expected to play a central role in how both sides present the case to jurors. For specifics, see the Colorado Revised Statutes.
What’s next
Morris and Cole have both entered not guilty pleas and, like any defendants, are presumed innocent unless and until a jury finds otherwise. They are entitled to pretrial motions, full discovery, and a jury trial. Court calendars show Morris scheduled for pretrial readiness check-ins and additional hearings in the coming weeks, and lawyers for both sides are due back in court as they prepare for what could be two lengthy, closely scrutinized trials.
