EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — Almost five years after a man suspected of killing three people was shot and killed by El Paso SWAT, laboratory testing confirmed he was the one and only suspect in the murders.
Just before 2 a.m. on April 14, 2018, deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to the 13500 block of Hobby Horse Lane southeast of Colorado Springs for a welfare check.
When the deputies arrived, they found two deceased adults, who were later identified as Larry Nelson, 72, and Pamela Nelson, 70, according to the sheriff's office.
About three months later, on July 22, 2018, deputies responded to a homicide along the 12300 block of Highway 94 east of Colorado Springs. They found the body of 46-year-old Gustavo Del Sol Sanchez at that location.
Later that day, the sheriff's office SWAT team located the suspect along the 19200 block of Loop Road, according to the sheriff's office.
He was identified as William Bacorn, 23.
During the interaction with SWAT, Bacorn allegedly shot at a deputy. One of the SWAT members then shot and killed Bacorn, according to the sheriff's office.
While investigating the death along Highway 94, detectives learned that Bacorn was also the suspect in the deaths on Hobby Horse Lane.
The collected evidence from the scenes was tested by multiple labs to confirm if and how Bacorn was involved and if there were any other suspects.
The final round of this testing was completed in December 2022, and it confirmed Bacorn was responsible for the three murders. None of the evidence linked to any other suspects.
This case is closed since Bacorn has died. In December 2018, prosecutors said the deputy was justified when he shot and killed Bacorn.
