Cold Case Files
These cases are from the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office and are presumed to be possible homicides. A case is listed as a "cold case" when it continues to go on for a period of years. If you have any information concerning these cases or any of the people who may be involved, please contact the Sheriff's Office at (719) 539-2596. A Crime Stopper reward may be applicable in the successful conclusion of these cases.
Beverly England
32 year old Beverly England was last seen in Salida on June 12, 1980. She had dropped her children off at a babysitter's, gone to the doctor, and then met with another person. No one has heard from Beverly since that day and she is believed to be deceased and possibly the victim of foul play.
Beverly England
Unknown Person
On September 10, 1981 skeletal remains were found in a wooded area near Clear Creek in northern Chaffee County. Clothing scraps were also found nearby which consisted of a pair of blue jeans, a green corduroy shirt, and a t-shirt. It is unknown how long the body had been there. A pathology report found that this person had most probably been a white male around 17 years of age, approximately 5'6" tall, and around 135 pounds. In 1986 more bones were found in the same general area which were compared to the ones from 1981 and ruled to probably be the same person in each finding by the original pathologist. There were three cartridge shell casings found near the second set of bones. A clay reconstruction was done by the pathologist using the skull as a reference point showing what this person may have looked like in life. This person still has not been identified.
Unidentified Person
Ray Collins
In July of 1987 Ray Collins, David Caffey, and Richard Birth came to Colorado from Florida to mine for gold and aquamarine stones. After a couple of weeks, Birth had to leave to attend a family emergency in Wisconsin. In August 1987 Caffey returned to Florida driving Collins' pick-up truck. Caffey said that he dropped Collins off at the bus depot in Colorado Springs so that Collins could visit the Grand Canyon. Collins was never seen nor heard from again by anyone including his family. In May of 1988 Ray Collins was declared legally dead by his home state of Florida. Ray Collins has been listed as deceased and is believed to be the possible victim of foul play.
Ray Collins
Richard Ellis
36 year old Richard Ellis was a business man who owned a combination convenience store and gas station in Poncha Springs. On January 3, 1995, someone walked into the store and shot Richard to death while he sat behind the counter. Money and other items were taken. This crime happened just before dusk and several witnesses described a vehicle seen leaving the store area. This case remains an open homicide investigation.
Richard Ellis
Nancy Mason
On May 30, 2004 Nancy Mason was reported to be the victim of a fall from a cliff into the waters of Chalk Creek near St. Elmo. She had been in the Iron City Campground with her husband, Daniel Mason, and his friend Efren Gallegos. Nancy was deceased when medical help arrived. Through an extensive investigation, this case has been reclassified from that of being an accident to possibly being a homicide.
Nancy Mason
Leslie Slama
On June 21, 2006 Joseph Slama reported that he had found his wife dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot in the couples recreational vehicle that was parked at the Snowy Peaks Campground near Buena Vista. Officers arrived and confirmed that Leslie DeVault Slama was deceased from a gunshot wound. Circumstances at the scene and the ensuing investigation raised doubts that Leslie had shot herself and her case was reclassified from that of a suicide to possibly a homicide.