In the quiet town of Loveland, Colorado, William Roger Connole Jr., a 65-year-old man, often found solace in late-night walks through his neighborhood. Having recently triumphed over a battle with cancer, these strolls were a way for him to unwind and get some rest after his shifts at Home Depot. Connole, a skilled craftsman with a background in information technology and construction, was a father and grandfather known for his welcoming nature.
His home was a frequent gathering place for friends, family, and neighbors.
On the evening of June 3, 2015, Connole was out for one of his usual walks. Shortly before 11 p.m., as he stood at the corner of St. Louis Avenue and East 1st Street, he was fatally shot. Emergency responders arrived to find him lying on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds and, despite their efforts, he died at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle slow down near Connole, but no one saw the actual shooting. The seemingly random and senseless act sent a chill through the community and became part of a series of shootings that had been plaguing Northern Colorado.
The investigation into Connole's death was extensive, involving a task force that looked into similarities with other recent, apparently random shootings in the region. These included the non-fatal shooting of a motorist on Interstate 25 and the killing of a bicyclist in nearby Windsor. For years, the case remained a source of fear and speculation in the community as investigators sifted through thousands of leads.
A break in the case came in 2018 with the arrest of Christopher David Parker. Investigators connected him to the shooting of Connole, as well as another shooting that occurred on the same night just 15 minutes later, where a motorcyclist was targeted but survived. The investigation was a massive undertaking, involving the review of over 5,000 leads. Parker was eventually deemed mentally unfit to stand trial for a period but was later sentenced in June 2023 to 39 years in prison for the second-degree murder of William Connole. The resolution brought a measure of justice to a community that had been terrorized by the string of violent and unpredictable attacks.
