WESTCLIFFE, CO – The hunt for a suspect connected to a shooting incident in Colorado ended in New Mexico on Tuesday. Hanme K. Clark, accused of killing three individuals and injuring a fourth on Monday night in Westcliffe, Colorado, has been apprehended by U.S. marshals and New Mexico State Police in Albuquerque.
The arrest followed a manhunt that started after gunshots were reported in Westcliffe, a rural community located about 80 miles south of Colorado Springs, late Monday afternoon. According to Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith, the arrest took place without any additional injuries. “The best resolution for us is that nobody else got hurt, no cops got hurt, and the suspect also did not get hurt,” remarked Smith.
The authorities have indicated that the shooting was related to a “suspected property dispute,” as the victims and the suspect had neighboring properties. The victims were identified on Tuesday as 63-year-old Rob Geers, his wife Beth Wade Geers, 73, and 58-year-old James Daulton.
James Daulton’s wife, Patty Daulton, was injured in the incident but survived. She is currently receiving treatment at a trauma center. The Sheriff stated, “We’ve been to this suspect’s house several times.” The disputes that arise from ambiguous property lines, a frequent occurrence in the area due to its historical origins in the period following the Civil War, form a recurrent part of the deputies’ duties.
While a thorough investigation into the incident is pending, it was noted that an unidentified woman present in the vehicle with Clark during his arrest would be questioned to determine her involvement in the event.