A couple wanted for murder in Colorado has been captured more than 1,000 miles away in south Mississippi.
Officials with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department notified the public Monday that Johnny Morris and Hailey Cole had been apprehended, ending a multi-state search that began over a week ago in El Paso County, Colo.
The investigation began as a missing persons case after El Paso deputies found “large quantities of blood” when responding to a residence on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 19. No body was found, but a public notice was put out for a black Audi tied to the case.
Four days later, the car of interest was spotted near a Colorado home. Park County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched the home, finding the body of 65-year-old Timmy L. Hudson, of Hartsel, Colo. Hudson’s death was under investigation by multiple agencies, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
A “be on the lookout” was issued for a blue 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck, as well as Morris and Cole. Early Saturday morning, the truck was found in Hattiesburg. Multiple local and state agencies from both Mississippi and Colorado focused their search for Cole and Morris in the area, warning the public that both were to be considered armed and dangerous.
On Monday, the 11-day investigation yielded the capture of both Cole and Morris by Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Neither Cole nor Morris have appeared in court and the pair are expected to be extradited to Colorado.
