In the quiet mountain town of Granby, Colorado, the life of 38-year-old Michelle Lee Thompson Larimer came to a tragic and violent end on April 8, 2010. A Realtor from Parker, she was discovered in a home at Granby Ranch, the victim of a murder-suicide orchestrated by her ex-boyfriend, Michael Rexford McCormick. The grim discovery concluded a harrowing ordeal that began the day prior.
The events leading to the fatal encounter started on April 7, 2010, when McCormick, a 53-year-old with a
violent criminal past, kidnapped Michelle from a gas station in her hometown of Parker. Their relationship had been both personal and professional; they had a history of investing in and renovating rundown properties together. However, the personal relationship had soured, and it is believed that frustrations over their business dealings and the end of their romance fueled McCormick's actions. After the abduction, McCormick forced Michelle to a home in Granby Ranch belonging to an acquaintance.
Law enforcement was alerted to the kidnapping after Michelle managed to make a phone call to a friend. Parker police initiated a statewide alert, and the search for the pair began. The situation reached its devastating conclusion early the next morning. At approximately 5:21 a.m. on April 8, authorities at the scene heard a single gunshot from within the residence. Upon entering the home, they found both Michelle and McCormick deceased.
Both had died from single gunshot wounds to the head. Evidence at the scene indicated that McCormick had first shot Michelle before turning the gun on himself, with the handgun being found in his hand. Investigators believe the act was premeditated and that a considerable amount of time had passed between Michelle’s death and McCormick’s suicide. As the perpetrator died at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with Michelle's murder. The case also brought to light McCormick's dark past, including a previous murder conviction and suspicion in the disappearances of numerous other individuals in the 1980s. Michelle Lee Thompson Larimer, a mother to a young son, was remembered as a woman with a big heart by those who knew her.
