Suspect in City Park killing had run-ins with police

Update 1/8/18:Fort Collins City Park homicide suspect pleads guilty to murder

It took Jeffrey Etheridge more than a month to comply with Colorado's sex offender requirements, and he had at least two contacts with Fort Collins police before he finally did.

The 27-year-old self-described transient man accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing Heather "Helena" Hoffmann on June 21 in City Park reportedly moved to Colorado in March, according to Fort Collins Police Services spokeswoman Kate Kimble. But he didn't update his sex offender registration until May.

The Coloradoan traced a series of events in Fort Collins involving Etheridge from March to May.

Run-ins with police

Police were called to a west Fort Collins home on May 2 for a conflict involving Etheridge.

According to Fort Collins Police Services case notes, Harold Zeller called officers to his home in the 2400 block of West Stuart Street, alleging that Etheridge and Zeller's 20-year-old daughter had been fighting all day and that Etheridge had pushed her.

Etheridge, whose name was not listed on the lease, had been living at the house with Zeller and his daughter, whom he was reportedly dating at the time.

The woman and her father wanted Etheridge to leave, according to the notes, and "he packed his stuff but said he is in love and didn't want to leave."

Etheridge reportedly became "very verbal" once he realized Zeller had called police, the notes say.

In an interview with the Coloradoan, Zeller said Etheridge and his daughter first became friends in Kentucky, and when Etheridge was kicked out of his home, his daughter would let him sleep in her car.

After Zeller decided to move to Colorado, his daughter moved with him from Kentucky and convinced her dad to allow Etheridge to join them for a week to help with the move and make some money.

But then Etheridge didn't leave.

Zeller said Etheridge was taking advantage of the family, depending on Zeller's daughter for food and other family members for rides and shelter.

Although Zeller said he didn't like Etheridge from when he first met him and warned his daughter, ex-wife and other family members about him, they dismissed his concerns.

"I didn't like the guy from almost day one," Zeller said. "But my kids are saying I'm prejudiced or not giving him a chance."  

Hearing the fight and finding out that Etheridge pushed his daughter was the last straw.

"It was all I could do as a father to keep from ripping the kid's head off," he said.

Zeller said his daughter refused to press charges after police responded to the home, so no arrest was made. But Zeller agreed to drive Etheridge to Denver, where Etheridge reportedly had a sister with whom he could stay.

They didn't make it all the way to Denver, though. About 40 minutes into the drive, with Etheridge continuing to be "psychotic," vulgar and making threats, Zeller said, he pulled into a gas station and called police. Zeller said he and his daughter then left with the understanding that police would transport Etheridge to a bus station.

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Two days later, Zeller said he spotted Etheridge back in Fort Collins, and his daughter had been sneaking around to see him. He had an acquaintance run a background check on Etheridge and found out about his criminal convictions.

On May 4, Etheridge contacted police, alleging that he was being stalked by Zeller at West Troutman Parkway and South Mason Street in Fort Collins, records show.

But Zeller said he was simply checking to make sure his daughter wasn't with Etheridge while already out on an errand and never even talked to police. 

The officer who responded to the call ran Etheridge's information in the crime information database and found that he was a registered sex offender in Kentucky, according to Kimble. Zeller said he found out about Etheridge's sex offender designation from his own background research, not from police.

Zeller held back tears as he discussed finding out about the accusations against Etheridge in Hoffmann's killing on June 21.

"I feel terrible," he said. "I feel responsible. ... But I don't know what else I could have done."

Zeller said he tried to tell police that Etheridge should be "locked up."

Flying under the radar

When the officer came into contact with Etheridge on May 4, a Thursday, he told him he had five days to update his information in Colorado's system before a warrant would be issued for his arrest, according to Kimble.

It's unclear whether the officers told Etheridge he needed to update his sex offender registry information when they came into contact with him two days prior.

Etheridge complied the following Monday, May 8, and reported again on June 15, in accordance with requirements defined by his conviction and residency status, according to Kimble.

When a sex offender moves to Colorado from another state, he or she has five business days to register in Colorado.

State law dictates how often a person convicted of a sex offense has to register and update location information on a sex offender registry. In Colorado, individuals determined to be sexually violent predators have to update their information with their respective police departments quarterly, for example, while those with misdemeanor offenses may only have to do so annually. 

But a change in Colorado law in 2012 required those who "lack a fixed residence" to update their residence location more frequently.

So people who are required to update their information annually but are transient or homeless instead must update quarterly, and those required to update quarterly instead must update monthly. If they don't comply, they could face charges.

Etheridge was required to update his address annually in Colorado, based on his conviction, but it became quarterly based on his residency status.

His last known residence was in Kentucky, according to sex offender registry records.

Kentucky State Police didn't know about Etheridge's Colorado move, so once Colorado officials added him to their registry, they informed Kentucky State Police, according to an email from Kentucky State Police Trooper Josh Brashears.

Etheridge first registered as a sex offender in Kentucky on May 2013, according to Kentucky State Police records, after a 2011 conviction in Kentucky of possession of material depicting sexual acts by a minor — he was 21 at the time.

Online records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show Etheridge had registered as a sex offender in the state and his last reported address, as of Sept. 20, 2016, was a permanent residence in Richmond, Kentucky.

Sex Offender Registry

• In Fort Collins, there are 278 registered sex offenders, 40 of whom lack a fixed residence, and five of those registered are labeled sexually violent predators, said Fort Collins Police Services Investigative Aide Alisha Stock.
• Various police departments in Colorado maintain their lists on a publicly available website, www.sotar.us.
• Stock warns that not every person on the state sex offender registry will be viewable on that website because of state law mandates that require some not to appear on those lists, based on conviction. However, any resident can obtain a full list from the police departments.
• If a resident has concerns about something suspicious occurring or information about a sex offense, Stock urges the person to call police and inform them of the issue.

Reporter Saja Hindi covers public safety and local politics. You can follow her on Twitter: @BySajaHindi, or email her at shindi@coloradoan.com.

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