Daryl B. Ritz, a 58-year-old male and retired firefighter from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, was found murdered on May 16, 2016, on his late father's property in a rural area off Judge Orr Road in Peyton, Colorado. Ritz, who had dedicated 33 years to the fire department before retiring, had gone to the vacant 5-acre commercial lot to check on it following a series of recent burglaries and thefts. These thefts included a kit-built airplane and a Jeep. After his retirement, Ritz had been working as a truck driver and had informed a coworker of his intention to stop by the property after making a delivery in the area. He was reported missing before his truck was discovered abandoned on the property, leading to the discovery of his body the next morning.
The investigation into his death revealed that Ritz was shot multiple times. A crucial piece of evidence in the case was a GoPro camera mounted inside Ritz's dump truck, which captured the fatal confrontation. The footage showed a physical altercation between Ritz and another man. After Ritz threw the man to the ground, the man got up, and as Ritz began to run, he was shot four times. The video then captured the shooter dragging debris to cover Ritz's body. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office investigated the case as a homicide, and their findings quickly pointed to a suspect.
Authorities arrested Gustavo Torres-Gonzales in connection with the murder. The motive for the killing is believed to be connected to the property. Investigators suspect that Ritz was confronted by Torres-Gonzales, who was on the property without permission, possibly with the intent to burglarize it. During the investigation, authorities located the stolen airplane at a property in Black Forest. While serving a search warrant, they found Christopher Laxton burning paperwork that included Ritz's name. Laxton later told investigators that his friend, Torres-Gonzales, had shot someone on the property from which the items were stolen. Torres-Gonzales had reportedly confessed the killing to friends and asked for help burying the body. He was formally charged with Ritz's murder in June of that year. Daryl Ritz, a beloved husband, father of two daughters, and grandfather, was remembered by his former colleagues as a dedicated firefighter and a compassionate community member who was heavily involved in charity work, particularly for the Children's Hospital Burn Unit.
