In the quiet foothills of Coal Creek Canyon, a grim discovery shattered the mountain tranquility on April 15, 2017. Inside a home on Divide View Drive, law enforcement officials found the bodies of three individuals, marking the beginning of a complex homicide investigation. One of the victims was Emory Leroy Fraker, a 39-year-old male from Broomfield. He was found alongside his half-brother, 54-year-old Wallace Lance White, and Wallace's 56-year-old wife, Kelly Sloat-White, who resided at the Golden-area home.
The initial welfare check was prompted by a concerned friend who had been unable to reach the Whites. Upon entering the residence, deputies were met with a scene of violence; all three victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators quickly determined that this was not a murder-suicide and that the home had been specifically targeted, although they assured the public that there was no broader threat. Family members later shared that Fraker had been staying at the house to help care for his half-brother and sister-in-law due to some health issues. The presence of a significant amount of marijuana and cash in the home was also noted by authorities, suggesting a possible motive for the brutal crime.
As the Boulder County Sheriff's Office delved into the investigation, a suspect began to emerge. Garrett Matthew Coughlin, a 24-year-old from Lakewood who was an acquaintance of the victims, drew the attention of law enforcement. Investigators learned that Coughlin was four hours late for work on the day of the murders and had been seen with packaged marijuana and cash just two days after the incident. Further inquiries revealed that firearms were missing from Coughlin's family home and that he had traveled to several states in the week following the homicides.
The crucial piece of evidence came from a ballistics comparison. A slug recovered from one of the victims was matched to a gun that Coughlin had left with a cousin out of state. Following this discovery, investigators sought to interview Coughlin at the Lakewood Police Department. After the interview, on May 16, 2017, Garrett Matthew Coughlin was arrested and transported to the Boulder County Jail. He was subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree murder during the commission of a robbery, and aggravated robbery, bringing a suspect to justice in the tragic deaths of Emory Fraker and his family members.
