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Husband Of Murder Victim In Police Custody


DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The husband of one of two murder victims found inside a home near Castle Rock was being held on $1 million bond on Friday. Investigators won't say whether Christopher Wells is a suspect in the double homicide.

The bodies of Amara Wells, 39, and Robert Rafferty, Jr., 49,

bob-rafferty
Bob Rafferty (credit: Facebook)

were discovered by Douglas County Sheriff's deputies at about 3 a.m. Wednesday inside a home on Marlin Way.

Neighbors said it was Amara Wells' 6-year-old daughter who went to the closest home and that's when the 911 call was made. Authorities will not confirm who made the call.

Although investigators will confirm Amara Wells and Bob Rafferty are homicide

amara-wells
Amara Wells (credit: Facebook)

victims, the exact cause of death is not being released because it may jeopardize the case.

Detectives insist Christopher Wells was in custody at the time of the murders. He was arrested at his home in Monument on Tuesday at 11:44 a.m. on a violation of bail bond and a violation of a protection order. Detectives have not released when Amara Wells and Bob Rafferty were murdered.

Neighbors said it wasn't unusual to see law enforcement at the Wells' home in Monument.

"Since August, three or four different times the sheriff's car would be there," said Wells' neighbor Mary Scott. "They were both nice people. I was surprised they were going through a messy divorce."

One of Amara's friends, who didn't want to be identified because she was too frightened, told CBS4, "Amara was very scared of her ex-husband."

Rafferty owned the home near Castle Rock with his wife, Tamra. Neighbors have said she was out of town on business and returned home when she learned of the homicides. The Rafferty children are away at college.

Christopher Wells is Tamra's brother. Neighbors said Amara and her 6-year-old daughter had been living with the Raffertys after an ongoing situation with her estranged husband.

"Amara had been living with them since late summer. Again, family sticks together and they were there for her through a difficult situation," said family friend Karen Loucks Rinedollar.

Court documents reveal that Amara filed a restraining order against Christopher last year. Recently, Amara contacted the Douglas County District Attorney's office with concerns about Christopher's escalating harassment through e-mails and text messages.

In a final message to the DA's office at the end of January, Amara said she was "scared what the next level may be" and that "I am scared to live alone and feel like I am going to be harassed for the rest of my life and I just want this to stop."

Investigators said Christopher Wells was arrested in El Paso County this week, before the homicides happened.

"He was brought to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office on a charge that was unrelated, domestic violence related," said Douglas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ron Hanavan.

Christopher Wells is scheduled to appear in court on March 4.

Investigators continue to process the crime scene.

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