The tragic Weld County deaths of Alisha Johns and her mom, Sheri Pachello, as well as the suicide of Cimmeron Johns, Alisha's husband and the women's presumed killer, may have taken place late last week, but the story may not be over.
A friend of Cimmeron could conceivably face charges, since she says he told her about killings but didn't immediately inform police.
Photos, video and more below.
At approximately 10 p.m. on February 6, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a report about a husband, Cimmeron, chasing his wife and her mother, Pachello. The women were in a gold colored SUV, while Cimmeron was in a dark-colored car.
The last known location of Pachello (the WCSO lists her first name as "Sherri," but her Facebook page spells it "Sheri") was in Frederick, the community where Cimmeron lived. His house, located at 6294 Clayton Street, can be seen in the following interactive graphic; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."
View Larger Map
Law enforcers canvassing the area soon found a crash site, as well as a vehicle that matched the description of the one said to have been following Alisha and her mom: a 1992 Mercedes.
The car wasn't owned by Cimmeron. As noted by the Denver Post, it belonged to a friend of his, Rosann O'Donnell.
Witnesses had seen the SUV, a 1991 Ford Explorer, and the Mercedes speeding away from Cimmeron's house. Given that the Mercedes had been found in a snowy field, investigators assumed the SUV was under Cimmeron's control.
But the women were nowhere to be found, and that was alarming, given that late last month, Alisha had contacted authorities to reveal that Cimmeron had been abusing her.
Continue for more about the double-murder/suicide, including additional photos and a video. According to 7News, Alisha said that Cimmeron had pummeled her for two days, choking her and giving her black eyes, after he learned that she'd had an affair. She hadn't wanted to press charges, but a warrant for second-degree assault/domestic violence was active in his name anyhow.
The next day, the bodies of Alisha and Pachello were found within miles of the spot where the Mercedes had been left. But Cimmeron was still at large -- and it turns out he was with Thornton-based O'Donnell.
Before long, officers from the Thornton Police Department, giving an assist to the WCSO, found the SUV, and while they were in the midst of investigating, they received a report of shots fired inside O'Donnell's place, at the 10200 block of Ura Lane.
As people nearby were evacuated, the Thornton/Northglenn SWAT team surrounded the place and attempted to contact the suspect. Finally, gas canisters were launched and the officers moved in to find Cimmeron dead. He'd killed himself with a gunshot to the chest.
O'Donnell says Cimmeron had talked about suicide prior to the night he killed his wife and mother-in-law, and she admitted to the Post that he'd told her about the murders shortly after they happened. When a reporter asked why she hadn't informed police after, she tearfully said she didn't know.
Will authorities accept that answer? It's too soon to tell.
Look below to see a larger photo of Cimmeron, Alisha and Pachello, followed by a 7News report from shortly after the women's bodies were found.
If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.
SHOW ME HOW
Newsletters
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
More from our Mile High Murder archive: "Tayvon Martin murder bust after triple shooting: 'Bitch, you're gonna get yours.'"
Or sign in with a social account:
FACEBOOK GOOGLE + TWITTER YAHOO!