West
Man who was on parole after prior violent offenses now accused in 4 murders
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A Colorado parolee once classified as a “very high” risk of reoffending is now charged in four separate killings across three counties — including three counts of first-degree murder tied to an alleged 2025 crime spree.
Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith, 38, faces two counts of first-degree murder in Adams County, one count of first-degree murder in Denver and a newly filed second-degree murder charge in Arapahoe County connected to a 2022 death.
He is being held without bond in the Denver jail, prosecutors confirmed.
In 2022, Roybal-Smith was accused of threatening customers at a retail store. One day later, a woman named Meg Eberhart was found unconscious at a light rail station and died days later, 9NEWS reported. Police suspected foul play and focused on Roybal-Smith, who was on parole for a previous offense at the time. But prosecutors did not file charges because the coroner ruled her cause of death “undetermined.”
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Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith is facing multiple murder charges across three Colorado counties, according to prosecutors. (Denver Police Department)
Instead, Roybal-Smith was sentenced to four years in prison for the incident at the retail store.
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According to 9NEWS, Roybal-Smith later became eligible for parole and was released in January 2025 after his risk level had been downgraded from “very high” to “moderate.”
Within months, police allege he launched a violent spree in Aurora.
According to police and the Adams County Coroner’s Office, Roybal-Smith brutally stabbed two homeless men to death in separate attacks. Authorities alleged one of the homeless men was stabbed roughly 90 times.
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An Aurora Police vehicle is seen at a crime scene after authorities arrested Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith in connection with a series of killings and violent incidents across the Denver metro area. (Aurora Police Department)
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Later that same day, Roybal-Smith was arrested in Denver in connection with an alleged hit-and-run involving two pedestrians, according to Law & Crime.
After being booked into jail, his cellmate, 36-year-old Vincent Chacon, was found dead within hours.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner ruled Chacon’s death a homicide caused by “asphyxia due to external compression of the neck,” or strangulation. Roybal-Smith was charged with first-degree murder in that case. He was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the homeless men’s stabbing deaths.
In addition, prosecutors charged Roybal-Smith with second-degree murder in connection to Eberhart’s 2022 death.
“While the manner of the death ruling of the Arapahoe County Coroner has not changed, our office continued to review the evidence… and have determined that the Second-Degree Murder charge is appropriate at this time,” Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley told Fox News Digital. “As with every case we file, we will only pursue charges when we believe the evidence can reasonably prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt in court.”
District Attorney Amy Padden added that while her office does not control parole decisions, the case raises broader concerns.
“We are aware of several cases in which repeat, violent offenders have been released from prison to parole earlier than expected only to go on to commit additional crimes,” Padden said. “The privilege of parole should only be granted when there is substantial evidence of rehabilitation, acceptance of accountability, and lack of danger to the community.”
An Arapahoe County spokesperson emphasized that Roybal-Smith is not on the streets and remains in custody on a no-bond hold related to his Denver case.
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Interior view of the Arapahoe County Detention Center in Colorado, used as a reference image in a case involving multiple homicide charges in the Denver metro area. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
A 9NEWS Investigates series previously reported that Roybal-Smith’s assessment scores contained errors and that he had been downgraded before his release.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Colorado Department of Corrections and the Colorado State Board of Parole for comment but did not receive responses by publication.
George Brauchler, a Republican district attorney for Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District, said the case reflects broader sentencing and parole policy changes.
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“We Lead with our humanity” sign at Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday, August 3, 2023. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
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“This gets attention because it’s so incredibly huge — a guy killed three people and menaced someone else,” Brauchler said. “But parole violators occur everywhere all the time.”
Brauchler argued Colorado has reduced incarceration levels even as its population has grown.
George Brauchler, a Republican district attorney for Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District, said dangerous people are being put back on the street. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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“The simple answer is this state, through the legislature and the governor and the parole board, has made a conscious decision that we choose to put these people back out on the street and put the community at risk more than we want to spend the tax dollars to keep them incarcerated,” he said.
Colorado Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson also criticized the state’s parole system, calling the case a “serious failure” in Colorado’s criminal justice system.
“These latest charges in this tragic case highlight a serious failure in Colorado’s criminal justice system,” Simpson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Families are grieving today because he was allowed back onto our streets.”
Simpson said the case underscores the need to strengthen parole oversight and ensure violent offenders serve appropriate sentences.
“Parole must never become a revolving door for violent offenders,” he said. “Public safety must remain the top priority here in Colorado.”
He added that government agencies must be held accountable if system failures contributed to repeat offenses.
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Eberhart’s daughter, Zada Veniegas, previously told 9NEWS she felt relief upon learning prosecutors had finally filed charges in her mother’s death.
“At least the fact of what he did is being acknowledged on the legal end of things,” she said. “I think it’s important that she wasn’t forgotten.”
Roybal-Smith is scheduled for an arraignment in Adams County on March 30 and remains in custody on a no-bond hold.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Wyoming
Wyoming women escape black bear attack on their tents in the Big Horn Mountains
BILLINGS — Two Wyoming women escaped unharmed after a black bear attacked their tents in the Big Horn Mountains while they were still inside.
Friends Maggie Bassett and Shonna Dehl were on a camping trip when the bear began tearing into their tents while they were asleep on Sunday night.
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Wyoming women escape black bear attack on their tents in the Big Horn Mountains
“It was so scary,” Bassett said.
Basset said it jolted them and their four dogs awake and that both women were shocked at the bear’s behavior.
“It wanted in the tents,” Dehl said. “That’s all it wanted. It didn’t matter what we did.”
Dehl and Bassett proceeded to yell and scream at the bear, even firing gunshots in its direction in an effort to scare it away. None of those efforts worked.
“It was not scared at all,” Bassett said Wednesday afternoon in an online web call. “It didn’t even blink. It just kind of circled around and came back at me from a different angle.”
“It was circling us,” Dehl said. “It felt like it was circling our campground.”
Eventually, the bear scattered away after more gunshots were fired. Then, the two women fled to their vehicle, hiding out for a couple of hours and honking their horn to keep the bear away.
“We were in there for at least an hour,” Dehl said. “Just scared and shaking.”
Eventually, the two drove away unharmed and made their way to Dehl’s family cabin a few hours away.
When they returned the next day, they found their tents collapsed and torn to shreds. Wyoming Game and Fish responded and told the two women they plan to trap the bear and relocate it.
Both Bassett and Dehl said it was a frightening ordeal, especially because they followed all bear-aware protocol, including using bear containers.
“I will never forget that sound of my tent being ripped open,” Bassett said.
Chrissy Webb with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has not been involved in the investigation but said a bear’s memory can bring it back to places where it has encountered unnatural foods before.
“You know it’s not unreasonable for a bear to return to a site where they’ve gotten food in the past,” Webb said. “When bears start accessing those unnatural human-based food is when we start to see bears that can be potentially dangerous because, you know, they’ve got conditioned by this food.”
Webb said there is no way to know if that is what happened in this case, but staying bear aware is crucial for both campers and the animals.
“It’s safer for you to store things properly, and it’s better for the bear’s sake if they’re not able to access those human foods,” Webb said.
For Bassett and Dehl, it’s an experience that has changed the way the two plan to go camping in the future.
“I don’t see myself sleeping in a tent anytime soon, maybe never,” Bassett said.
“Yeah, we’re going to need four walls,” Dehl said.
San Francisco, CA
What’s next for San Francisco Giants as MLB trade deadline approaches?
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The San Francisco Giants have a lot to consider at this juncture of the MLB season.
There were mid-level expectations for the Giants at the start of the season. On paper, it seemed like the Giants could battle for a wild card berth.
The Giants won’t meet those expectations.
A week before the All-Star break, San Francisco has the third-worst record in baseball at 38-54. The Giants lost 10-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8, held hitless through eight innings.
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that this team won’t be competitive down the stretch, which has many of the Giants faithful singing a NxWorries tune, wondering what to do and where to go from here.
It’s evident that a shake-up is needed. It’s simply a matter of where they start and what they can realistically do to change things in the dugout. But one thing’s for sure: the Giants are sellers heading into the trade deadline.
What should the Giants do now?
The Giants have to accept their fate. Entering the season, they looked like a team that could compete with anybody, but then the baseball games were played and that proved to not be the case. So now San Francisco has to look itself in the mirror and figure out what went wrong and how to make things right – well, better than they have been going, anyways.
Here are a few ideas:
Get aggressive in the trade market, sell high
It’s easier said than done, but the Giants have to get off the expensive contracts eating up their salary. Reason being, you won’t be able to get any talent, let alone invest in your prospects, if there isn’t enough dollars to go around by the time negotiations occur.
It’s also a matter of how aggressive they plan to be and who will be prioritized. Who is untouchable? ESPN’s Jeff Passan has Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as a top-ranked trade candidate. He plays all throughout the outfield. Offensively, Lee ranks top 10 in MLB in batting average and strikeout rate.
Lee, 27, makes $22.83 million this season and next, before going down to $21.33 million in both 2028 and 2029. Although not a star, the Giants can sell teams on Lee being a promising, solid all-around player.
Move on from veteran players
With a record like San Francisco’s, the best thing you can do for the fans is give them something to be hopeful for. That’s not aging veterans.
Examine the market for your guys who are age 30 and up, or are occupying a ton of salary space.
Rafael Devers turns 30 in October. His age isn’t so much a problem, but his contract … combined with the lack of expected production. Devers has had a down year so far, batting .244, registering 86 hits and 18 homers. He’s under contract through 2033 at a hefty price tag.
Others to consider moving on from are Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. They’re fan favorites, but based on age and dollars it all makes sense. Adames is under contract through 2031 at over $31 million per season. Chapman is locked up through 2030 at over $25 million per year.
It’s hard to say goodbye, but in the best interest of the Giants, they have to find new homes for these guys. And honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Devers, Chapman and Adames wanted to find a new home if it meant playing for a contender and a chance at a World Series title.
Retain young talent, bring in fresh faces
There’s promise for the future in this squad with guys like Bryce Eldridge, Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert. It’s a start.
“The San Francisco Giants, who would love to trade two of their infielders at the trade deadline, need to clear space for power-hitter Bryce Eldridge. They realize it’s stunting his growth as an infielder to keep using him as a DH at the age of 21,” USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale wrote.
Eldridge has had plenty moments as a designated hitter but none bigger than his walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals on June 10.
Another intitiative San Francisco needs to focus on is hanging on to guys like Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, Casey Schmitt and Landon Roupp. The best bet is to hang on to them to help usher in a new era. Years from now, when the team has a new look, you can decide whether to leverage them for additional assets.
However, in the interim, hold on to those guys for dear life because teams will come knocking as MLB gets closer to the trade deadline.
Denver, CO
Denver officers cited for separate incidents, 1 fired
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
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