In the quiet community of Henderson, Colorado, the life of a 34-year-old Caucasian male, Christopher Stockwell, was brought to a tragic and violent end on February 16, 2017. A man of many passions, he was known for his love of riding motorcycles through the mountains, taking his Jeep on four-wheeling adventures with friends and family, and his artistic talents which he expressed through tattoo design, paintings, and sketches.
His life, however, was cut short in a fatal confrontation that stemmed from a dispute over stolen marijuana.
The events that led to his death began to unfold when Christopher Toney, then 39, drove from Wheat Ridge to Henderson with the intention of confronting Stockwell. At the time, Stockwell was house-sitting. Toney, determined to gain entry, first knocked on the front door and then attempted to open several windows. His persistence led him to discover a garage door transmitter in a vehicle, which he used to get inside the garage. Once inside, Toney attempted to steal a motorcycle.
This commotion alerted Stockwell, who opened a door to the garage, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the two men. After the initial shots were fired, Stockwell retreated back inside the house and locked the door. Toney, however, was not deterred. He walked to the end of the driveway and fired four more shots at the house. One of these bullets tragically struck Christopher Stockwell in the back of the head, ending his life.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Christopher Toney was arrested and charged with the murder of Christopher Stockwell. After a week-long trial in October 2018, an Adams County jury convicted Toney of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced for his role in the death of Christopher Stockwell on November 9, 2018.
