CBI Releases New Info About Death Investigation In Hugo

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Authorities looking into a double murder in eastern Colorado say the great-grandson of the victims is the sole focus of their investigation.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation held a briefing in Lakewood Thursday morning to share new details in the case.

Sheriff's deputies discovered the bodies of Charles Clagett, 80, and Laura Clagett, 82, on Wednesday at their home on County Road 29 in Hugo, near Limon. They had gone there to notify them about the crash involving their 16-year-old great grandson, who also lived there.

That crash happened about four miles from the home.

CBI Assistant Director Steve Johnson said Thursday the teen is the sole focus for several reasons.

"He is the only other occupant of the home," Johnson said. "We have no reason to believe at this time that anyone else is involved. We don't have any reason to believe that the home was burglarized. We don't have any reason to believe that the homicides were the act of an intruder or were the act of anyone other than the 16-year-old."

Johnson said Thursday the teen had a large amount of money in his truck when he crashed and that so far it's unclear whose money it is. They are now talking to family members to see if it belonged to the Clagetts or someone else.

After the teen was injured in the crash he was transported to a Denver-area hospital, where he is recovering. So far he hasn't been arrested and no murder weapon has been discovered.

The exact way the couple died will be determined in autopsies. Their bodies were reportedly found in their downstairs bedroom.

Johnson said the teen's biological mother lives in Colorado but beyond that he declined to comment on the reason why he doesn't live with her.

The teen grew up in Hugo and returned to live with his great-grandparents before starting school last fall.

"He'd been living with them and he'd been going to school out here and he seemed to be doing really well," said the couple's friend Dorothy Osborne.

The small community about 100 miles southeast of Denver is pretty shaken up about the investigation.

"It's hard to believe that these things do happen in these small communities. Normally, it's pretty safe, pretty quiet, but it can and will happen," said Brian Noakes, a friend of the Clagetts.