Man arrested after horrific murder weeks after being given $250 bond for allegedly choking Northern Colorado police officer
CBS 4 News
Loveland police have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly murdering his mother, just weeks after the same man was arrested for allegedly choking a police officer during an unrelated arrest. Police say Michael Fuller, of Loveland, murdered his mother in her western Loveland home just weeks after he attempted to attack a random woman in a park, leading to use of force by police.
In court records obtained by CBS News Colorado, officers described a horrific crime scene on Nov. 1. They were dispatched to the home after the suspect's sister requested a welfare check on her mother who had not been answering her phone.
When officers arrived at the home they said they made contact with Fuller, who initially refused to answer the door. Officers described being able to see a dead body from the back door of the home, and that is when they made entry to arrest Fuller and check the rest of the home.
Most of the details of the crime scene are too graphic for publication. However, police did report finding evidence of a struggle, forced entry into the victim's bedroom and reported blood throughout the home. Police also reported finding a black dress suit and a white shirt that were covered in blood, and a water hose in the backyard that was left running.
Three days after the murder, Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran told CBS News Colorado's Dillon Thomas the scene is still being investigated.
"Sadly, this is a scene that is still being processed today. You can draw your own conclusions, Dillon, about how horrific that scene was," Doran said.
Police remain outside the home as of the publication of this report, guarding it as evidence tape is seen around the house.
While Doran said he wanted to pay his respects to the victim and their family, he was also questioned about what happened with the suspect just weeks prior to the murder.
Shortly after announcing Fuller was the suspect in the murder on the Loveland Police Department Facebook page, many residents in Northern Colorado started expressing their concerns with his recent arrest in a park and the bond he was given by the court system.
Police say on Oct. 9, at nearby Namaqua Park, Fuller was also the suspect in another investigation. Police say it started when they received a 911 call from a woman who was walking her dog.
"This victim was screaming for her life," Doran said. "An individual in the park was chasing her. She had to retreat into the Big Thompson River."
The woman reportedly used pepper spray to keep the man away from her.
Police later identified the other person as Fuller. They say multiple officers responded to the scene where Fuller was standing in the river. Police said they attempted to get him to surrender multiple times before making physical contact.
"He twisted a bit, and got his arm around the neck of one of our officers and actually pushed him down into the water," Doran said.
At least one other officer reported injuries during the altercation with Fuller in the river.
Fuller was transported to the Larimer County Jail where he was later taken to court for a bond hearing. During the hearing, the Larimer County District Attorney's Office, led by Gordon McLaughlin, initially proposed a personal recognizance bond with cosign, meaning Fuller and one other had to promise he would attend his next court date before he was released.
The judge, Jill Sage, then bumped the bond to be $250 cash. Fuller posted that bond and was released.
"There was some disappointment on my part for the low amount, given this was a felony arrest. It involved an F-4 assault on a police officer. Under those conditions, I think a $250 bond is not appropriate," Doran said.
Though there was no way to know the man would allegedly go on to murder someone, many people on social media have expressed their agreement with Doran. One neighbor of the murder victim also told reporters he blamed her death on the judge and district attorney's office.
McLaughlin, who is seeking re-election this week, declined to interview for this report. His office cited his busy schedule as his reason for not being available. However, they did issue a written statement, which is posted below.
"Our office's full focus is on the investigation and prosecution of the horrific murder that occurred (Friday) night in Loveland. With respect to the bond setting in Mr. Fuller's previous case, we must rely on the information provided by the police at the time of the bond hearing. Unfortunately, important details of his actions, including much of his conduct toward the citizen victim, her need for pepper spray, and his apparent attempt to pull an officer into the water were not provided by Loveland Police in the bond information we had available. Therefore, our office was unable to argue those aggravating factors to the Court because we did not have them. Had the full facts that Loveland Police later released been provided at the time, our bond recommendation would have changed. The officer who was the victim of the incident in the water later requested no charges based on that conduct be filed. Ultimately bond is set by the magistrate and is heavily influenced by a report relying on a standing Judicial Administrative Order which recommended a co-signed personal recognizance bond."
The office also wrote a followup statement.
"Our prosecution team has been out all weekend working alongside the Loveland Police to fully investigate and prosecute this case. This is and will remain the focus of the District Attorney's Office. Back-and-forth finger-pointing and those using this tragedy for political gain, when a family and community have been rocked by such a crime is counterproductive and we will not engage in it. Both cases are open, and the DA's office cannot continue to ethically discuss details of these cases publicly."
Neither Doran or McLaughlin ever suggested either office was to blame for the murder during their interviews or statements with CBS News Colorado. Doran, on multiple occasions, said he did not want the situation to become about politics, but rather said he simply wanted to make sure his officers and their actions were properly represented by fact.
In an arrest affidavit obtained by CBS News Colorado from the Oct. 9 incident, which the DA's office uses for bond hearings, LPD's officers do describe Fuller's alleged confrontation with the first victim. And, they do describe an officer being placed in a chokehold and grabbed by the neck. However, they do not mention the use of pepper spray by the victim or the officer being in the water during the chokehold, which McLaughlin noted in his statement.
Doran challenged McLaughlin's accusations that the officer involved in the Oct. 9 incident was willing to drop any charges that were filed. Doran said that his officers only consented to a charge being adjusted to appropriate measure, but not dropped. And, Doran said that was sent days after the bond hearing, therefore not impacting the bond hearing decision.
When asked for his response on that, McLaughlin's team said they stand by their statement.
"I am not here to point fingers," Doran said. "Everyone involved had everything at their disposal to make the appropriate decision.
"I firmly believe that there is a lack of accountability in our charging, bonding and sentencing process to where the pendulum has swung a little to where the rights of the accused far outweigh the rights of the citizens," Doran said.
Fuller is now being held on a $10 million bond for his alleged role in the murder.