Colorado Cold Case podcast examines 2 mountain bikers, and their violent deaths 8 years apart
Years before Tim Watkins was found shot dead in the forest above Palmer Lake, another mountain biker suffered a similar fate 170 miles away.
His name was Mike Rust and his death bears uncanny parallels to that of Watkins’ slaying eight years later.
The latest episode of the Colorado Cold Case podcast appeared online Monday, examining the ties between the two men, who were contemporaries and whose deaths rattled the outdoors community.
Watkins disappeared after going for a ride on Sept. 14, 2017, on Mount Herman, just outside Palmer Lake. His body was found shot and buried three days later near one of his favorite trails. Several of his belongings — including a cycling shoe, the contents of his wallet and his custom-made bike — also were found spread across the mountain.
No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been named in the killing.
Watkins’ death came eight years after renowned mountain biker Mike Rust disappeared while living in rural San Luis Valley. He was a revered member of the mountain biking community, helping to pioneer several advances in the sport.
His death remained a mystery until investigators received a call from someone who claimed to know who might have killed Rust, and where his body was hidden. It’s a call that Watkins’ family says they’re still waiting to receive.
Colorado Cold Case podcast, which is reported and produced by The Gazette, can be found on iTunes, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.
Tim Watkins was found shot to death on Mount Herman in 2017. His body was discovered in a shallow grave near Limbaugh Canyon.
An undated, family provided photo of Mike Rust. Photo copyright of the family of Mike Rust.
More than 100 family and friends gathered at the International Dance Club on the west side of Colorado Springs on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 to remember and celebrate the life of Mike Rust who went missing earlier that year. (Gazette, Bryan Oller)