JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that an arrest was made in connection with a homicide inside an RV parked at a Park-N-Ride earlier this year.
Donald Leroy Harris, 50, was arrested on March 26 in Golden on unrelated charges out of Denver. He remains in Denver’s custody after he was served with a murder charge for the shooting death of Matthew Hire, 57.
Hire’s body was found inside an RV parked in the Woolly Mammoth Park-N-Ride near Interstate 70 and Morrison Road on April 14. Investigators believe the murder took place between March 25-26.
A deputy discovered his body while performing routine patrols. The RV’s door was swinging open when the deputy was patrolling the lot, prompting the deputy to investigate further, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said documents belonging to Harris were found in the RV. They also said investigators found the victim’s belongings, including Hire’s Jeep, his cell phone and keys to the victim’s RV, with the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Additionally, evidence the sheriff’s office said links the suspect to the crime includes Hire’s blood on the suspect’s clothing and the murder weapon found inside the Jeep containing DNA from both Hire and Harris.
“As our investigators were dealing with another recent high-profile murder, the investigation into this case never faltered,” Investigations Chief Marc Snowden said in a statement. “The meticulous work of our team led to the collection of evidence and an arrest in this case.”
Harris is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the case, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Additional details are pending the release of an arrest affidavit.
