On a summer night in Aurora, Colorado, 26-year-old Debra Sue Corr, a patrolwoman with the Aurora Police Department, was on duty, having served with the department for a year. On June 27, 1981, she conducted a traffic stop at East Colfax Avenue and Moline Street. During the stop, she attempted to arrest the male driver, but a struggle ensued.
In the course of the confrontation, the suspect, identified as Joe Michael Ervin, managed to gain control of Officer Corr's service weapon. He then fatally shot her. A passing police explorer scout, Glen Spies, witnessed the struggle and stopped to render aid. Ervin also shot and wounded Spies before fleeing the scene. The brave officer became the first female officer in the Aurora Police Department to be killed in the line of duty.
Law enforcement quickly tracked Ervin to his home, where they found him attempting to saw off the handcuffs that Officer Corr had managed to place on one of his wrists during their struggle. He was arrested and taken into custody. However, just days later, while awaiting trial in jail, Joe Michael Ervin committed suicide.
For decades, the story of Officer Corr's murder was a tragic but seemingly closed chapter. However, in January 2022, a stunning revelation emerged. Through advancements in DNA technology, investigators were able to link Joe Michael Ervin to the unsolved murders of four other women in the Denver area between 1980 and 1981. This new evidence posthumously identified him as a serial killer, bringing a new and chilling dimension to the death of the dedicated young officer who lost her life during what began as a routine traffic stop.
