In the quiet town of Alamosa, Colorado, a fatal encounter unfolded on a Tuesday night, forever altering the lives of two close friends. John Cossel, a 58-year-old man from the nearby community of Monte Vista, was found deceased by police officers who were responding to reports of possible gunshots in the 200 block of State Avenue. He had sustained a single gunshot wound.
The incident, which at first seemed a mystery, soon became a story of a friendship tragically severed.
Present at the scene was 57-year-old Kawanna Nelson of Alamosa, who was identified as a person of interest. She remained at the location and cooperated with the ensuing investigation, which quickly unraveled the events of that evening. According to arrest documents, Nelson and Cossel were good friends who had engaged in a brief argument. The disagreement centered around Cossel's desire for his car keys, with Nelson expressing concern over his fitness to drive. Following this dispute, Cossel left her apartment.
The situation escalated when Cossel later returned and began banging on Nelson's door. Reportedly suffering from PTSD due to a past violent incident, Nelson claimed she asked who was there twice but received no answer. Armed with a 9mm Smith and Wesson, she opened the door. She stated that Cossel then entered and 'went at her,' at which point she fired a single shot, not immediately realizing the man she had shot was her friend, John Cossel.
Following the investigation into the fatal shooting, Kawanna Nelson was taken into custody and transported to the Alamosa County Detention Center. She was subsequently charged with second-degree homicide for the death of John Cossel. Later, the District Attorney for the 12th Judicial District confirmed that the prosecutor's office had successfully convicted Kawanna Nelson of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
