Son Shot By Dad Accused Of Burning Down Family Home
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A father accused of shooting his son to death at a Sedalia home appeared in Douglas County Court Monday on a bond hearing.
Frank Leo Huner, 58, bonded out of jail after having been arrested on a charge of second degree murder.
Huner called 911 Saturday just after 10pm to report that he had shot and killed a man who he believed to be a burglar, and then found out that the intruder was his own son.
CBS4's Melissa Garcia has learned that the deceased son, identified as Nicholas "Nick" Huner, 33, was under investigation for allegedly burning his family's mountain house down just months before the deadly shooting.
The accusation of arson is not the only element of a troubled history between Nick and his parents.
A court issued a protection order in September of 2016 that barred Nick from his parents' home in Sedalia, after he allegedly threatened to kill his dad and said he wanted to slit his mom's throat.
A month and a half later, the family's other home in the Winter Park Highlands went up in flames, and investigators suspected arson. Grand County Deputies had a case pending against Nick, whose car was found in the burned down garage.
Two days later, Nick lead officers in Utah on a high-speed chase, according to police, and he was arrested with a loaded gun in his possession and a felony warrant out of Arapahoe County for distributing large amounts of marijuana.
Investigators Monday did not say much about the father, Huner's case.
A Douglas County Spokeswoman did say, however, that in self-defense murders, the defendant has to prove self-defense in the court process.
Court officials did not return calls on when Huner's next hearing would be.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
