Man Accused In Killing Of Homeless Trio To Appear In Denver Court

DENVER, CO – A man accused of fatally shooting three transient residents of Denver as they slept behind an industrial building will appear in Denver District Court.

More details emerged about the triple killing when the courts unsealed the arrest affidavit for Maurice Butler, 38. Butler is accused of killing Nicole "Nikki" Boston, 28, Jerome "Rome" Coronado, 39, and Chris "Little Cowboy" Zamudio, 44, late on Aug. 8 in a remote corner of a parking lot at 765 S. Broadway near the Interstate-25 overpass.

Police alleged Butler, who also goes by the nickname "Khaos" allegedly shot Boston and Coronado over a $200 drug debt, according to an arrest affidavit. Police did not provide a motive for the shooting of Zamudio, other than the fact that he was also sleeping in the homeless camp.

Witnesses told police Boston and Coronado had been hiding from Butler, who had threatened them over drugs they had "been fronted," the affidavit said. The two had moved from a transient community at Civic Center Park and were hiding in a makeshift camp in the 700 block of South Broadway. Witnesses said Coronado had been seen earlier with a black eye, and other injuries in the weeks leading up to the shooting, and that he possibly had been beaten by "Khaos's guys over a drug debt," the affidavit said.

Butler was wearing a GPS ankle shackle because he was on parole for a 2010 incident where he was convicted of kidnapping an "at-risk adult" who was buying drugs from Butler, and then holding him hostage and demanding $500 from his family. Butler also has a number of felony drug convictions, the affidavit said.

An analysis of Butler's GPS location showed that the ankle monitor recorded him at 765 S. Broadway on Aug. 8, between 11:48 p.m., until Aug. 9, 2018 at 12:02 a.m. Surveillance video from a 7-Eleven camera near the crime scene that night also showed a man resembling Butler visiting the convenience store, the affidavit said. Another witness told police she had seen a gun in Butler's backpack the evening of the shooting. Police said a Crime Stoppers tipster had reported hearing four gunshots in the area around midnight.

Butler was arrested on Monday, Aug. 13, on a warrant for a parole violation and drug possession at his residence in the 4300 block of Mariposa Street. On Sept. 6 police announced that Butler was accused in the triple shooting.

Butler is currently being held at the Denver County jail without bail. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing facing three counts of first-degree murder on Oct. 12, the Denver County District Attorney's Office said.

Image via Denver Police Department

Related: Arrest In Fatal Shootings Of Denver Homeless Trio

Related: Who Killed Homeless Trio? Denver Police Seek Tips

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