The former El Paso County sheriff’s deputy who was reported missing nearly a year ago and now faces felony theft charges had his bond reduced significantly at a court hearing on Monday.

Kevin Sypher, 57, faces four charges in connection to the incident that led to Sypher’s year-long disappearance and $100,000 bond.

Sypher’s $100,000 bond became the main talking point at his Monday hearing, where his defense attorney Michael Stuzynski requested for Sypher to be released on a personal recognizance bond. A personal recognizance bond means a defendant can be released from custody without having to post any money, but would return to custody if they violate any of the terms of the release.

Prosecutor Anthony Gioia objected to the request of a personal recognizance bond, stating that Sypher’s alleged attempts to flee custody make him a flight risk.

Sypher was first reported missing on April 27, 2023. According to previous reports by The Gazette, he was found in Denver on April 29 and temporarily reunited with his family.

However, on April 30, Sypher was reported missing for the second time. After a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park with a family member, Sypher “walked away from the vehicle he was traveling in,” leading to another search, according to officials.

Judge Jill Brady did not grant the defense’s request for a personal recognizance bond, but did opt to lower Sypher’s bond to $3,000, the standard bond for a defendant facing a class-4 felony charge.

Stuzynski also requested to waive Sypher’s preliminary hearing originally scheduled for Monday, citing ongoing negotiations with the prosecution.

According to Gazette news partner KOAA, the timing of Sypher’s disappearance could have something to do with the dissolution of this second marriage. His ex-wife did not want to comment on the story.

Court documents acquired by KOAA show that she discovered Sypher was already married to another woman just one month after she married him. Days after her discovery, Sypher walked off into Rocky Mountain National Forest and wasn’t heard from for nearly a year.

In looking into Sypher’s background, KOAA learned Sypher and his wife, Sara, worked together and that she is also in law enforcement.

In her petition to declare her marriage to Kevin Sypher invalid, the court documents say that less than a month after they got married in March 2023, she learned her new husband was already married to a woman in California — three days before his disappearance in April 2023.

More information on Sypher’s arrest could be made clear in the coming days as Judge Jill Brady ordered the arrest affidavit to be unsealed at Monday’s hearing.

Sypher faces charges of felony theft between $20,000-$100,000, charitable fraud and two counts of misdemeanor officer misconduct. He appeared to court on Monday in the custody of the Teller County jail.