In the quiet community of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a tragic story unfolded in the late winter of 2018, culminating in the discovery of 36-year-old Chersti Berdahl Spitler's untimely death. Concerns from those who hadn't seen or heard from Chersti or her husband, Michael Spitler, 30, for several weeks prompted a call for a welfare check at their home in the Hatcher Lake area.
On March 14, 2018, deputies from the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office entered the residence and made a grim discovery.
Inside a bedroom on the north side of the house, law enforcement found the bodies of both Chersti and Michael Spitler. The scene suggested a violent end to their lives, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with the case. The investigation that followed would reveal a heartbreaking sequence of events that had taken place weeks before the couple was found.
The Archuleta County Coroner determined that Chersti Berdahl Spitler died from a gunshot wound. Her death was ruled a homicide. Investigators concluded that her husband, Michael Spitler, had shot her before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. This conclusion was supported by evidence found at the scene, which included a note and journal entries left by Michael Spitler.
The last known contact with either Chersti or Michael was on February 25, 2018. It is believed they had been deceased for approximately three weeks before their bodies were discovered. The community of Pagosa Springs was left to mourn the loss of a resident in what was described as a tragic and difficult week for the small mountain town. As Michael Spitler was identified as the sole person involved in Chersti's death and had taken his own life, no arrests were made in the case.
