In the quiet town of Cañon City, Colorado, a tragedy unfolded on June 12, 2014, leaving the community in shock and mourning. Daniel David Samento, a 56-year-old retired police officer, was found deceased in his home in what authorities would later describe as a murder-suicide. A man who had dedicated 30 years of his life to law enforcement, his final actions would be a grim departure from a career spent upholding the peace.
Concern arose when Daniel's wife, 49-year-old Priscilla
Samento, a dispatcher for the Cañon City Police Department, failed to report for her late-night shift and could not be reached. Officers were dispatched to their residence in the 700 block of Whipple Avenue to conduct a welfare check. Inside, they made the devastating discovery of both Daniel and Priscilla's bodies. The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of the events that had transpired. It was determined that Daniel had shot and killed his wife before taking his own life.
Neighbors later recounted observing a decline in Daniel's physical and mental well-being in the time leading up to the tragic incident. Further investigation revealed that he had been prescribed an antidepressant medication, although it was not found in his system at the time of his death. The case concluded with Daniel Samento as the sole perpetrator of the act, and as such, no other suspects were identified, and no arrests were made. The community was left to grapple with the loss of two individuals who had been integral parts of their local law enforcement family.
