AURORA, Colo. — Family members and Aurora police pleaded for the public’s help Tuesday in connection with a double homicide investigation that has dragged on for more than two months.
The suspects involved in the Christmas Eve shootings of Nekeya Chennee Brown and Katon Lee Hutt, both 35 years old, remain at large. The shootings occurred on Dec. 24, 2022 at 1592 North Boston Street inside apartment 102.
On Tuesday, investigators were joined by Chennee’s mother during a press conference where police released security camera images of the suspects and a vehicle believed to be involved.
The bodies of Chennee and Katon were found inside the apartment unit around 11 a.m. after police responded to the apartment complex on a request for a welfare check.
Aurora police detective Christopher Barchetti spoke during the press briefing and said video from security footage shows two individuals arrive at the apartment complex in a blue metallic sedan.
The video shows the two men knocking on the door to the victims' apartment and being allowed inside. After a few minutes, audio recordings pick up the sound of several gunshots and screams, Barchetti said.
“The two suspects [flee] the apartment, into the street and reentering the blue metallic sedan,” Barchetti said. “Surveillance video captures a driver that never exits the metallic blue suspect car as well as a front seat passenger. To this point in time, we have not been able to identify a make or model on that vehicle.”
Police said at least four people were in the vehicle that was seen coming off of 16th Avenue and onto Boston Street before making a u-turn and parking in front of the apartment complex.
The suspects — described as two men wearing face coverings and gloves — exited out of the back seat of the vehicle.
One of the suspects is a Black or dark-skinned Hispanic male. The other suspect’s race is unknown.
Ethel, Chennee’s mother, spoke during the press conference. She said her daughter had three kids and took care of Hutt, who was legally blind.
“She was a giving person. She wore her emotions on her sleeve. She was a caretaker and nurturer. She always wanted to be there for her family,” Ethel said.
The victim’s mother admitted that her daughter struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse.
“She was a daddy's girl. And when her daddy died of a heart attack, she just kind of spiraled down,” she said. “She did have some substance abuse [problems], but at the end of the day, she had a heart of gold.”
Aurora police have not determined a motive for the shooting.
Ethel said she forgives the people responsible for her daughter’s death.
“I know I have to forgive because she forgave. And I know that I can't say that I love God if I don't forgive the person that took her life,” Ethel said. “And at the end of the day, as tragic as this may be, it’s bigger than my daughter.”
Anybody with information on this case is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. A $2,000 reward is available for anybody with information that leads to an arrest. All tips can remain anonymous.
