Man who was on parole after prior violent offenses now accused in 4 murders

A Colorado parolee erstwhile classified arsenic a "very high" hazard of reoffending is present charged successful 4 abstracted killings crossed 3 counties — including 3 counts of first-degree execution tied to an alleged 2025 transgression spree.

Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith, 38, faces 2 counts of first-degree execution successful Adams County, 1 number of first-degree execution successful Denver and a recently filed second-degree execution complaint successful Arapahoe County connected to a 2022 death.

He is being held without enslaved successful the Denver jail, prosecutors confirmed.

In 2022, Roybal-Smith was accused of threatening customers astatine a retail store. One time later, a pistillate named Meg Eberhart was recovered unconscious astatine a airy obstruction presumption and died days later, 9NEWS reported. Police suspected foul play and focused connected Roybal-Smith, who was connected parole for a erstwhile discourtesy astatine the time. But prosecutors did not record charges due to the fact that the coroner ruled her origin of decease "undetermined."

Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith is facing aggregate execution charges crossed 3 Colorado counties, according to prosecutors. (Denver Police Department)

Instead, Roybal-Smith was sentenced to 4 years successful situation for the incidental astatine the retail store.

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According to 9NEWS, Roybal-Smith aboriginal became eligible for parole and was released successful January 2025 aft his hazard level had been downgraded from "very high" to "moderate."

Within months, constabulary allege helium launched a convulsive spree successful Aurora.

According to constabulary and the Adams County Coroner’s Office, Roybal-Smith brutally stabbed 2 stateless men to decease successful abstracted attacks. Authorities alleged 1 of the stateless men was stabbed astir 90 times.

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An Aurora Police conveyance is seen astatine a transgression country aft authorities arrested Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith successful transportation with a bid of killings and convulsive incidents crossed the Denver metro area. (Aurora Police Department)

Later that aforesaid day, Roybal-Smith was arrested successful Denver successful transportation with an alleged hit-and-run involving 2 pedestrians, according to Law & Crime.

After being booked into jail, his cellmate, 36-year-old Vincent Chacon, was recovered dormant wrong hours.

The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner ruled Chacon’s decease a homicide caused by "asphyxia owed to outer compression of the neck," oregon strangulation. Roybal-Smith was charged with first-degree execution successful that case. He was besides charged with 2 counts of first-degree execution successful transportation to the stateless men's stabbing deaths. 

In addition, prosecutors charged Roybal-Smith with second-degree execution successful transportation to Eberhart's 2022 death.

"While the mode of the decease ruling of the Arapahoe County Coroner has not changed, our bureau continued to reappraisal the evidence… and person determined that the Second-Degree Murder complaint is due astatine this time," Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley told Fox News Digital. "As with each lawsuit we file, we volition lone prosecute charges erstwhile we judge the grounds tin reasonably beryllium the allegations beyond a tenable uncertainty successful court."

District Attorney Amy Padden added that portion her bureau does not power parole decisions, the lawsuit raises broader concerns.

"We are alert of respective cases successful which repeat, convulsive offenders person been released from situation to parole earlier than expected lone to spell connected to perpetrate further crimes," Padden said. "The privilege of parole should lone beryllium granted erstwhile determination is important grounds of rehabilitation, acceptance of accountability, and deficiency of information to the community."

An Arapahoe County spokesperson emphasized that Roybal-Smith is not connected the streets and remains successful custody connected a no-bond clasp related to his Denver case.

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Interior presumption of the Arapahoe County Detention Center successful Colorado, utilized arsenic a notation representation successful a lawsuit involving aggregate homicide charges successful the Denver metro area. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

A 9NEWS Investigates bid antecedently reported that Roybal-Smith’s appraisal scores contained errors and that helium had been downgraded earlier his release.

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the Colorado Department of Corrections and the Colorado State Board of Parole for remark but did not person responses by publication.

George Brauchler, a Republican territory lawyer for Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District, said the lawsuit reflects broader sentencing and parole argumentation changes.

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"We Lead with our humanity" motion astatine Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center successful Denver, Colorado, connected Thursday, August 3, 2023. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

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"This gets attraction due to the fact that it’s truthful incredibly immense — a feline killed 3 radical and menaced idiosyncratic else," Brauchler said. "But parole violators hap everyplace each the time."

Brauchler argued Colorado has reduced incarceration levels adjacent arsenic its colonisation has grown.

George Brauchler, a Republican territory lawyer for Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District, said unsafe radical are being enactment backmost connected the street. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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"The elemental reply is this state, done the legislature and the politician and the parole board, has made a conscious determination that we take to enactment these radical backmost retired connected the thoroughfare and enactment the assemblage astatine hazard much than we privation to walk the taxation dollars to support them incarcerated," helium said.

Colorado Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson besides criticized the state’s parole system, calling the lawsuit a "serious failure" successful Colorado’s transgression justness system.

"These latest charges successful this tragic lawsuit item a superior nonaccomplishment successful Colorado’s transgression justness system," Simpson said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "Families are grieving contiguous due to the fact that helium was allowed backmost onto our streets."

Simpson said the lawsuit underscores the request to fortify parole oversight and guarantee convulsive offenders service due sentences.

"Parole indispensable ne'er go a revolving doorway for convulsive offenders," helium said. "Public information indispensable stay the apical precedence present successful Colorado."

He added that authorities agencies indispensable beryllium held accountable if strategy failures contributed to repetition offenses.

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Eberhart’s daughter, Zada Veniegas, antecedently told 9NEWS she felt alleviation upon learning prosecutors had yet filed charges successful her mother’s death.

"At slightest the information of what helium did is being acknowledged connected the ineligible extremity of things," she said. "I deliberation it's important that she wasn't forgotten."

Roybal-Smith is scheduled for an arraignment successful Adams County connected March 30 and remains successful custody connected a no-bond hold.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].

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