In the desolate expanse of eastern Colorado, the story of Robert Lee Sowarsh, a male ranch hand, unfolds as a dark and disturbing chapter in the state's criminal history. His life became entangled with the McCormick family, a father and son duo, Tom and Michael, who operated a sprawling ranch near Stratton in Kit Carson County. Sowarsh was a long-time employee, serving as both a ranch hand and a driver for the McCormicks.
His association with the family would ultimately lead to his brutal and calculated murder.
The events leading to Sowarsh's death were born out of a volatile mix of alleged infidelity and financial disputes. It was rumored that Sowarsh had been involved with Tom McCormick's wife. Compounding this tension, Sowarsh believed he was owed a significant amount of money by his employer. He was aware that Tom McCormick kept a large sum of cash on the ranch, and he decided to take what he felt was rightfully his. This decision set in motion a horrific chain of events that would end his life.
According to the accounts provided by Michael McCormick, his father, Tom, discovered Sowarsh's intentions. What followed was not a swift end, but a prolonged and torturous ordeal. One night, Michael was roused to find his father in pursuit of Sowarsh. At Tom's command, Michael joined the chase, and together they captured the ranch hand. Sowarsh was tied up, and his fate was sealed in the most gruesome manner. The narrative of his final hours, as recounted by Michael, painted a chilling picture of calculated cruelty.
The discovery of Sowarsh's remains, along with those of other victims, came to light as part of a larger investigation into the criminal activities of the McCormick family. In February 1986, Michael McCormick, facing legal troubles of his own, began to cooperate with law enforcement. He led investigators to a series of shallow graves on the family's 2,800-acre ranch. One of those graves held the body of Robert Lee Sowarsh. The subsequent investigation was fraught with complexities and conflicting stories, primarily from Michael McCormick himself. His testimony, which implicated his father in multiple murders, was often inconsistent, making it difficult for prosecutors to build a solid case against Tom McCormick for the ranch slayings. While arrests were made and charges were filed in connection with other crimes committed by the McCormicks, the full measure of justice for Robert Lee Sowarsh remained elusive due to the tangled web of lies and manipulations that characterized the case.
