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Lakewood Police Identify Person Of Interest In Murder

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Lakewood have identified a person of interest in a murder investigation. Police are looking for Warren Dale Watson.

The body of Claudia D. Miller, 66, was found at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside an office building near 4th and Urban Street. Police said she was a family law attorney.

Police would like to speak with Watson, 52, in regards to any knowledge he may have about this incident. Watson is described as a black male approximately 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds.

Watson is known to wear glasses. Watson is a wanted fugitive on an unrelated case and there is an active warrant for his arrest.

Warren-Watson2
Warren Watson (credit: Lakewood Police)

Detectives located her car just before noon Thursday. It's described as a black 2012 Honda Accord with Colorado plate 915-YTU.

Police did not confirm whether Watson is the man who used Miller's credit cards at the King Soopers in Stapleton and a Walmart in the area.

Claudia Miller (Don't Use Yet -- Not Confirmed)
Claudia Miller (credit: Facebook)

A worker in the building where her body was found said a strange man was in the building earlier that day looking for gas money.

"He has a lot of information that we'd like to have but it's very possible that someone else killed her and either gave him the credit cards, sold the credit cards or ditched the cards so he may or may not be our prime suspect in the homicide," said Lakewood Police spokesman Steve Davis.

Police have released surveillance images of a man they described as being a suspect in the case.

"Detectives have obtained surveillance camera images from a Walmart store at 36th and Quebec Street as well as a King Soopers store at 28th and Quebec that contain the image of a black man who was in possession of a credit card belonging to the victim," Davis said.

Lakewood Death Surveillance 1 King Soopers
An image of the suspect (credit: Lakewood Police Department)
Lakewood Death Surveillance 2 King Soopers
An image of the suspect (credit: Lakewood Police Department)

"We're not sure that this man killed her, but he has a lot of information we'd like to have," Davis said.

Miller was an attorney and had a family law practice located in the building.

"I was in the office all day yesterday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and I didn't hear anything, with them finding her at 7 p.m. I don't know if anything could have happened while I was there," said Dominic Losasso, who works in the building.

Although Losasso didn't hear anything suspicious, he said he did encounter someone who was out of place earlier in the day.

"I remembered yesterday that a man had come in about 10 a.m. to ask for money, he identified himself with a moving company and his truck had run out of gas," Losasso said.

Warren-Watson
Warren Watson (credit: Lakewood Police)

Davis said they are checking on that lead, but it's "someone else that we have not located" at this point.

"Whether it has anything to do with this or not, we don't know at this point," Davis said.

Detectives on Wednesday searched through dumpsters outside the building and examined paperwork for anything that might offer clues in the woman's murder.

Police have not released the manner of death, but detectives indicated there was trauma to the victim's body.

Additional Resources

Lakewood Detectives are asking anyone who feels they may have information about Warren Watson that would assist them in their investigation to call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. You may be eligible for a $2,000 reward.

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