In an act of kindness that ended in tragedy, 20-year-old Christopher Pepper and his mother, Barbara Pepper, were killed in their Colorado Springs home on May 13, 2017. The two had opened their home to a family friend, 19-year-old Elijah Phillips, offering him a place to stay and helping him find a job after he had failed out of college. This generosity was met with violence when Phillips, also identified as Elijah Colon, fatally shot both Christopher and his mother.
The Colorado Springs
Police Department responded to reports of gunshots at the Pepper's residence in the 2500 block of Balboat Street. Following the murders, Phillips stole their vehicle. However, thanks to tips from the community, law enforcement was able to locate and arrest him just hours after the crime. While a specific motive for the killings was not publicly released by the police, the case moved through the legal system.
In May 2018, Elijah Colon accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. In an El Paso County courtroom, Colon expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he had contemplated suicide but instead committed murder. He was sentenced to 70 years in prison. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors hoped to gain more information about the case, including the location of the firearm used in the murders, which he had discarded somewhere in the city.
