Jefferson County, CO. – A suspect has been identified and arrested for a homicide that was discovered last month in Jefferson County. 50-year old Donald Leroy Harris is facing charges of First Degree Murder.
On April 14, deputies found an RV with its door open in the Park-N-Ride lot near I-70 at the Morrison exit. During a check of the vehicle, deputies discovered the body of a male inside. The victim, identified as 57-year old Matthew Hire, was fatally shot.
Investigators found documents belonging to Harris inside of the victim’s RV. Harris was also the last person seen with Hire. It is believed the murder took place between March 25-26. On March 26, the Golden Police Department contacted Harris and arrested him on outstanding warrants out of Denver. At that time, there was no knowledge of his connection to Hire. However, Harris has remained in Denver’s custody, where JCSO served him with the murder charge.
Upon establishing a connection between Harris and Hire, investigators collected the suspect’s personal belongings that were in his possession at the time of his arrest. Those items are considered critical pieces of evidence in this nefarious crime:
- Suspect had the victim’s cell phone and keys to victim’s RV, where the murder occurred
- The victim’s blood was found on the suspect’s clothing
Additionally, the suspect was in possession of the victim’s Jeep at the time of his arrest. The murder weapon was found inside the Jeep, which contained DNA from the suspect and the victim. To request a copy of the arrest affidavit, email Jeffco Courts at [email protected].
“As our investigators were dealing with another recent high profile murder, the investigation into this case never faltered,” said Investigations Chief Marc Snowden. “The meticulous work of our team led to the collection of evidence and an arrest in this case.”
Donald Leroy Harris
7-2-72