Interconnected motions requesting that some of the charges faced by the man accused of killing two people in Colorado last year before fleeing the state be moved back to Park County were denied by an El Paso County judge on July 25.

Johnny Morris, 47, faces homicide charges in the bludgeoning deaths of Stephen Walker, 37, and Timmy Huston, 65, in December 2024. The murders prompted a multi-agency investigation that spanned over a week across two counties. Morris’s co-defendant, Hailey Cole, 43, also faces homicide charges related to the deaths.

Because Huston was allegedly killed in Park County while Walker’s death occurred in El Paso County, Morris and Cole initially faced charges in both counties. However, The Gazette recently reported that the cases were consolidated to the 4th Judicial District.

Friday’s hearing primarily focused on the defense’s request to reopen the Park County case and split the charges, arguing that the 4th Judicial District is an “improper venue” for all the charges and that there are two “distinctive” crimes.

According to previous Gazette coverage, arresting documents filed in both Cole’s and Morris’ cases indicated Huston and Walker were killed on the same day, Dec. 19. Judge David Prince ruled the cases are connected — based on initial documentation — because the Park County homicide was a “furtherance” of Morris’ alleged crimes in Colorado Springs.

Both parties referenced Colorado Revised Statute 18-1-202 throughout the hearing, which outlines guidelines for jurisdiction regarding trial.

“When multiple crimes are based upon the same act or series of acts arising from the same criminal episode and are committed in several counties, the offender may be tried in any county in which any one of the individual crimes could have been tried, regardless of whether or not the counties are in the same judicial district,” subsection seven of the statue states.

According to Cole’s arrest affidavit, the pair’s alleged violent crime spree was motivated by the simple need for a car to drive home to Mississippi. The affidavit alleges Morris stole Walker’s car after his murder to drive to Huston’s residence, where he would then steal Huston’s car to continue his journey back home with Cole.

Concerns over media coverage were a recurring theme during Friday’s hearing, despite a March ruling that denied a motion to limit pretrial publicity for Morris. Prince said the current level of media coverage is not drastically different than coverage of any other homicide, maintaining his initial ruling.

Next appearance

Morris’ next appearance in an El Paso County courtroom is scheduled Aug. 22 for a preliminary hearing. His co-defendant’s preliminary hearing is set for the first week of September.

Questions were raised over whether Cole and Morris would have their hearings at the same time, albeit in separate cases. No decision was made Friday, and both the prosecution and defense said they will consider their options about scheduling over the next week.

Sealed or unsealed?

One of the final notes made by prosecutor Brent Nelson was that Morris’ affidavit could now be unsealed. The Gazette had requested the document when the charges first came down, but Cole’s document remains the only one available as of Friday.

The defense told Prince it needed time to respond to the prosecution’s statement that the affidavit could be unsealed, and no decision was made Friday.

Consistent with other hearings for Cole and Morris, family members of the victims sat in the gallery wearing shirts calling for justice.

Morris appeared in custody, donning the typical orange jumpsuit, sitting with his ankles and wrists shackled next to Fox. He remains in El Paso County jail on a no-bond hold.