In the quiet, remote ghost town of Turret, Colorado, a bizarre and solitary end came for one of its few residents. Edwin Bartheld, a 92-year-old male, was discovered deceased in the crawlspace of his home, a residence he had constructed himself on an old mine site. Friends grew concerned after not hearing from him for more than a week and found him on a Friday in September 2014.
Having lived alone since his wife passed away in 2012, his solitary existence was a known aspect of his life in the sparsely populated area.
What began as an investigation into an unattended death quickly escalated into a hazardous materials situation. Initially, authorities from the Chaffee County sheriff's office suspected a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, a search of the home revealed a large quantity of explosive materials and homemade devices, prompting the evacuation of the immediate area and the dispatch of a bomb squad. The presence of these materials, including ammonium nitrate and several homemade detonators, added a complex and dangerous layer to the investigation, with the bomb squad spending days securing and removing the volatile substances.
Ultimately, the coroner's office confirmed that Edwin Bartheld died from a single gunshot wound, ruling his death a suicide. Investigators pieced together a motive, suggesting that his advanced age, solitary life, and the potential for unwanted development on the land he had sold may have been contributing factors. It was believed that he intended to destroy his home at the same time as his death. The strange and explosive circumstances surrounding his final act left the small community and law enforcement with a perplexing case that was described as a 'bizarre series of events.' No arrests were made, as authorities concluded he acted alone in his carefully planned and solitary demise.
