In a quiet corner of the Pacific Northwest, the life of a young man from Valley, Washington, came to a tragic and unexpected end. Jake Colvin, a 25-year-old Caucasian male, was found deceased on Sunday, July 26, 2015, the victim of a fatal shooting. His body was discovered in the passenger seat of a white Chevy Suburban parked haphazardly outside St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana, far from his home.
The vehicle was facing the wrong direction with its lights still on and the keys in the ignition, a silent testament to a journey cut short.
The discovery prompted an immediate investigation by the Missoula Police Department. Inside a restroom at the hospital, they located a nervous-looking man with dilated pupils, 34-year-old Leo A. Rodriguez of Spokane. Water was splashed around the sink where he stood. Although he was unarmed, a 380 Hi-Point handgun was found concealed beneath a garbage bag in the restroom. Rodriguez was taken into custody on suspicion of tampering with evidence and for an outstanding warrant from California.
During questioning, Rodriguez informed investigators that Colvin had been shot in Spokane before he drove the body to Missoula. This admission shifted the focus of the investigation back to Washington state, with the Spokane Police Department joining the inquiry to piece together the events that led to Colvin's death. Investigators began working to determine the exact time, location, and motive for the shooting, including whether drugs were a contributing factor. It remained unclear if Rodriguez was the one who pulled the trigger.
Leo A. Rodriguez was held in the Missoula County Jail on a $100,000 bond. His criminal history revealed at least three prior felony convictions and numerous arrests for offenses including robbery, stalking, hit and run, and illegal possession of a firearm. At the time of his death, Jake Colvin had been scheduled to appear in Spokane County Superior Court for a residential burglary charge. He did not have any felony convictions in the state of Washington.
