A fun evening with new acquaintances tragically turned fatal for 33-year-old Chelsea Marie Durham-Longshore in Pueblo, Colorado. On May 31, 2022, a social gathering in a mobile home became the scene of her untimely death, a result of what appears to be a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Just days prior, a friend of Tyler Mitchell, Kenneth Callaway, had met Chelsea in Canon City and brought her to the mobile home Mitchell shared with his wife, Jessica.
The group was drinking when Mitchell’s demeanor reportedly shifted. He began to question Chelsea, asking if her name was 'Collette.' This name was significant to Mitchell, as a woman named Collette had previously reported him to the police for firing a gun, which led to his arrest. Despite Chelsea's insistence that her name was Chelsea, Mitchell remained suspicious. About thirty minutes later, he asked Callaway if Chelsea was the one who had informed on him. Shortly after, Mitchell stood up and fatally shot Chelsea in the head.
Following the shooting, Mitchell and his wife, Jessica, fled the scene. Jessica later informed police that she was taken against her will. Their escape ended in Fowler when their car ran out of gas. They checked into the Fowler Inn, where Jessica managed to escape while Mitchell was passed out from drinking. She then made her way to her parents' home in Kansas by bus and train. Left alone, Mitchell’s behavior grew erratic. The manager of the Fowler Inn reported that Mitchell was drinking heavily, even consuming hand sanitizer. This behavior led the manager to contact the police, who then took Mitchell to a hospital, ultimately leading to his identification and capture.
Pueblo Police launched a search for Tyler Mitchell, believing he might have fled to Kansas. On July 19, 2022, he was located in the 1600 block of West Highway 50 in Pueblo and was arrested without incident. Mitchell was booked on a charge of first-degree murder. Although he has maintained his innocence, he reportedly provided police with details about where Longshore was shot and the weapon used. Friends and family of Chelsea remember her as a funny, loving mother with a creative spirit. She was a social person who could make friends anywhere, a quality that may have tragically placed her in the wrong place at the wrong time.
