In the winter of 1979, the life of 31-year-old Michael Lyle Faast, a male resident of Colorado Springs, was cut tragically short. On the evening of February 16th, what began as an act of kindness for a friend and co-worker would end in his untimely death. Faast was with Laurie Firth, a woman he worked with at JC Penney, in a pickup truck he had borrowed from his best friend to help his sister move. Unbeknownst to him, this simple act of assistance would place him in the path of a volatile and dangerous individual.
The chain of events leading to the fatal encounter began shortly before Faast's arrival at Firth's apartment. Firth had been visited by her ex-boyfriend, Ronnie Ball, a Captain in the Air Force stationed at NORAD. Ball's behavior was described as erratic and bizarre as he accused Firth of being romantically involved with Faast. Frightened by his demeanor, Firth asked him to leave. Just ten minutes later, Faast arrived to find her distressed. He offered to take her to his sister's home to ensure her safety for the night.
As they sat in the truck, Ball suddenly reappeared, approaching the driver's side of the vehicle. In a fit of rage, he aimed a gun at Faast's head and fired a single shot. The truck, with Faast mortally wounded, lurched forward, striking a nearby building before rolling to a stop. The shocking event left Firth traumatized and unable to speak. Investigators arriving at what was initially reported as a car accident quickly determined it was a homicide.
The investigation, led by Detective Joe Kenda, soon pointed toward Ronnie Ball. After being identified by Laurie Firth as the assailant, Ball was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During his trial, his defense attorneys argued that he was temporarily insane at the time of the shooting. The jury ultimately found Ronnie Ball guilty but insane. As a result, he was committed to the Colorado State Hospital for treatment rather than being sentenced to prison for the murder of Michael Lyle Faast.
