In the quiet expanse of Weld County, Colorado, the life of 49-year-old Nathan 'Tom' Combs came to a tragic end on May 18, 2017. Initially, the scene near a semi-truck west of Hereford suggested a fatal accident, with deputies believing Combs had been run over by his own vehicle. However, a closer examination revealed a more sinister truth: Combs had been shot twice in the head.
This discovery launched a lengthy and complex investigation into what was now being treated as a homicide.
The investigation into the death of the truck driver from Burns, Wyoming, would stretch on for nearly six years. Detectives diligently pieced together the events leading to Combs's death, a process that involved numerous interviews and the pursuit of various leads. Their work eventually pointed toward a friend and co-worker, Mark Dean Switzer. A pivotal moment in the investigation came when Combs's wife, Rebecca, informed police that Switzer had confessed to her. He had reportedly told her that he shot her husband twice in the head with a. 22-caliber rifle while Combs was kneeling and praying.
This confession, coupled with other evidence, led investigators to secure a search warrant for Switzer's home in Carpenter, Wyoming. There, they collected several firearms and ammunition. The subsequent forensic analysis of this evidence was a meticulous and time-consuming process, involving the Northern Forensic Regional Laboratory, the FBI, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The results of these tests ultimately provided the crucial link needed to move forward with the case.
In March 2023, the extensive investigation culminated in the arrest of Mark Switzer, then 73 years old, on a charge of first-degree murder. The motive that emerged was as shocking as the crime itself. Combs had been facing a prison sentence for child sexual exploitation charges and had expressed to friends that he would not go back to jail. In the months leading up to his death, Combs had taken out a life insurance policy and made other end-of-life arrangements. He had reportedly asked Switzer to kill him in what was described as a 'mercy-killing.'
Faced with the evidence against him, Switzer ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter while aiding in a suicide; the initial first-degree murder charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. In May 2025, a Weld County District Court judge sentenced Mark Switzer to four years in prison for his role in the death of Nathan Combs. The case, which began as a suspected accident, concluded with the conviction of a friend who had taken a life at the victim's own request.
