An El Paso County judge ruled Wednesday to bind over, or accept, all 11 charges faced by Johnny Morris, the Colorado Springs man accused of killing two people in separate counties before fleeing the state last year.

Morris, 47, is charged with several felonies for his alleged role in the murders of Stephen Walker and Timmy Huston in December 2024, including first-degree murder and tampering with a dead body. Arresting documents indicate the alleged murders were done in an attempt to get a car to drive home to Mississippi.

Wednesday’s hearing primarily rehashed the timeline of events leading up to Morris and his codefendant’s arrest on Dec. 28. Hailey Cole, Morris’s romantic partner, faces accessory charges. Her preliminary hearing took place in September, during which Judge David Prince accepted her charges for trial as well.

Morris’s arrest affidavit has been sealed since shortly after the case opened. Previous Gazette reporting and Wednesday’s testimony were largely based on his co-defendant’s alleged confession to police upon their capture in Mississippi and her arresting documents.

While Cole wasn’t initially forthcoming with information, she later detailed the alleged crimes after her father reportedly encouraged her to tell the truth, and “not serve anyone else’s time.” She told detectives she was in “shock,” and said something along the lines of “movies don’t prepare you for this.”

The prosecution first called to the stand El Paso County Sheriff’s Office detective Michael Callis, who gave a very similar testimony as the one he gave back in September at Cole’s preliminary hearing. However, a handful of new details were revealed.

The hammer and dumbbell allegedly used in Walker’s death were recovered from the sober living home where Walker was reportedly killed. However, the murder weapon in Huston’s death has not been located, Callis testified. Cole said she and Morris threw it out the window on the way from Buena Vista to Pueblo. She added that they also tossed out Huston’s phone, which also remains missing.

More details around the efforts Morris and Cole went through to avoid law enforcement were revealed. At one point, the pair allegedly hid in a pond for “several hours” to prevent K9 scent detection.

The prosecution also called Colorado Bureau of Investigation special agent Sarah Poellot to the stand during Wednesday’s hearing. Her testimony mainly revolved around her investigation into the circumstances of Huston’s death. Notably, the same sweatshirt Morris was captured on video wearing to Planet Fitness on the morning of Dec. 19, the same day Huston was allegedly killed, was found inside the residence with blood stains.

Neither witness testimony shed light on any conversations Morris himself had with law enforcement, but rather focused mainly on Cole’s interview. However, it was noted that during an altercation in jail over the summer, deputies told Morris he could face more charges while in custody. He allegedly responded, “I already have two bodies.”

Morris appeared out of custody from El Paso County jail, where he remains on a no-bond hold. Seated at his defense table decked in orange and shackled at the wrists and ankles, Morris appeared emotionless for the majority of the hearing. Prince additionally ruled to maintain the no-bond hold on Wednesday.

Morris’s next appearance in court is scheduled for Dec. 19, during which he will formally enter a guilty or not guilty plea.