CO Prison Chief Murder: Suspect Killed in Shootout

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 12:28:58 PM EST
Tags: Tom Clements (all tags)

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A suspect in the murder of Colorado prison chief Tom Clements has been killed in a shootout with Texas police. The suspect, a 28 year old white supremacist and parolee from a Colorado prison, was stopped by a police officer in Texas. He shot the officer and took off.

The officer was wearing a bullet-proof vest. Two shots were to the chest and did not injure him. The third shot grazed his head. He was able to radio in the car description.

According to a live news conference I just watched here, it was a a drug interdiction stop. The officer had no idea the driver might be connected to the Colorado shooting of Director Clements.

When officers in Wise County, TX spotted him, they tried to stop him and he stuck his gun out the window and started shooting. A high speed chase ensued, and a big 4-wheeler crashed into Ebel's car, setting it on fire. Ebel got out and started shooting at the officers. They shot him multiple times, including in the head. [More...]

Ebel was declared brain dead and put on life support so they could harvest his organs. Life support was then terminated and he's now dead.

Colorado authorities and forensic specialists are en route to TX to determine if they can tie Ebel to Clements' murder. They believe Ebel also shot a pizza delivery guy in Denver in Sunday. His shirt was found in Ebel's car. Also being investigated: Whether Ebel was acting on his own, or whether the prison gang had ordered a hit on Clements.

The local media has outraged the Muslim community by reporting at a Saudi inmate might be a suspect. The inmate has been moved to solitary for his protection.

Police are also investigating whether the shooter was answering a Craig's list ad Clements had posted that day to sell his bicycle. Clements had been using a cane the past few years due to a bike accident, and had decided to sell his bike. He put his name as "Tom" in the ad, and a phone number. Clements phone records are being examined to determine if he arranged for anyone to come by the house and look at the bike. (Wouldn't his wife or the family member who was home and called 911 to report Clements had been shot know whether someone was coming over to look at the bike?)

Bottom line: While it has not been confirmed that Ebel was the killer of Tom Clements, his ties to the pizza delivery man's murder seem strong . Nor has it been confirmed that Clements was the only target.

The US Attorney for Colorado John Walsh had his security detail beefed up at his house Tuesday night and was escorted to work Wednesday under armed guard.

Pictures of the car and shootout are in this video.

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CO Prison Chief Murder: Suspect Killed in Shootout | 22 comments (22 topical)

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story follows conventional wisdom (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by msobel on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 03:43:28 PM EST

Assuming that he is guilty of the shooting, it has followed the normal media story path

Muslims blamed first
Actually white supremist
Brain dead

Where's the Connection ? (none / 0) (#1)
by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:07:51 PM EST

He was recently paroled In Colorado and driving a dark car.

Not sure how the white supremacy thing plays into it, but the media keeps hammering that point. But even if that's true, it doesn't connect him to Clements.

As I understand it.... (none / 0) (#2)
by magster on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:14:46 PM EST

his car matched the description of the car at Clements' home.

I heard that the car in TX had Domino's stuff in the car, so the link to the Denver murder seems stronger.

The forensic folks will likely and hopefully link all the murders and attempted murders soon enough.


Caution advised re letting (none / 0) (#3)
by oculus on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:19:08 PM EST

Pizza boxes accumulate in car.


Or maybe just... (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 08:27:00 PM EST

not murder a single dad of three small kids out delivering pizza to earn some extra money just to take his uniform and pizza box to get your other victim to open his door so you can kill him ("allegedly").


Wasn't it a windbreaker in the car. (none / 0) (#4)
by magster on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:24:25 PM EST

: The Domino's box and windbreaker (none / 0) (#5)
by jbindc on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:30:27 PM EST

Are possibly tied to the murder of a Domino's pizza delivery guy, whom authorities believe Ebel also killed.

balistics testing (none / 0) (#21)
by TeresaInPa on Sun Mar 24, 2013 at 07:51:35 AM EST

is also being done.


Gang suspect linked to sounds pretty vicious. (none / 0) (#6)
by magster on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 01:50:32 PM EST

Denver Post

Prison gangs tend to be that way. (none / 0) (#7)
by scribe on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 03:41:33 PM EST

This would seem to be a first - to all outward appearances it seems to have been a hit by or on behalf of a prison gang, against a prison official. I can't recall a similar case.

And all those gun control laws out there didn't stop this guy a bit. Probably made him more vicious - he wasn't about to allow himself to be taken alive, it seems.


You mean those... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 08:22:58 PM EST

gun control laws that don't go into effect until July 1st? Yeah, I'm sure they really bothered him to no end.


: I imagine (none / 0) (#22)
by TeresaInPa on Sun Mar 24, 2013 at 07:54:30 AM EST

we are talking about all those laws already on the books which go unenforced.

"All those gun control laws" ... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by Yman on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 08:54:43 PM EST

... aren't going to stop every murder.

Then again, there isn't a single law that does stop every crime it's supposed to deter, so if we follow that logic, we might as well do away with every law.


That's an assumption Yman... (none / 0) (#15)
by fishcamp on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:03:26 PM EST

and you're logic is not true logic...I thought you were a lawyer. Are you a lawyer? I like your stuff but c'mon...


I am (none / 0) (#16)
by Yman on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 09:39:57 PM EST

What's an assumption? That no law stops every crime it's intended to deter?

Can you name even one exception?


you're right, of course but... (none / 0) (#17)
by fishcamp on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 10:50:28 PM EST

why do we even have laws if that type of logic exists?


I'm pretty sure (none / 0) (#19)
by sj on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 12:02:12 AM EST

that's exactly Yman's point. I think y'all agree.


: Yep - exactly (none / 0) (#20)
by Yman on Sat Mar 23, 2013 at 10:17:44 AM EST

The laws are created to deal with acts that we (collectively - apologies in advance to Kdog) think should be illegal - but a law will never stop every crime it's aimed at deterring.

H'mm, how did he get the gun? (none / 0) (#9)
by womanwarrior on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 05:00:51 PM EST

Maybe he stole it from someone who didn't secure it?
Haven't heard that detail yet.


Too weird, the Skinhead's father (none / 0) (#10)
by Mr Natural on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 06:57:48 PM EST

is Colorado Governor's Pal.

: Wow, that's kind of nutty. (none / 0) (#11)
by magster on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 07:39:28 PM EST

Suspect's friends (none / 0) (#18)
by Mr Natural on Fri Mar 22, 2013 at 11:57:17 PM EST

... remember: "I thought Evan had gotten his life together," said childhood friend, Ricky Alengi. "He had just gotten out of prison, he was writing books. My walls are covered with pictures he drew. I talked to his mom. She is torn up.".