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Castle Rock police knew Kirsten Lockett was in their town, hiding out from her 'homicidal' husband

Posted at 11:29 PM, Jul 23, 2015
and last updated 2017-05-03 20:40:04-04

A violent domestic abuse crime still has two Colorado communities shaken.

Friends of Kirsten Lockett are mourning her loss in Limon, while relatives in Castle Rock are still numb after her brutal killing at her brother's house there on Saturday morning.

7NEWS has learned that five days before her stabbing death, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office had alerted law enforcement state-wide that her estranged husband, Richard Lockett, was wanted on a no-bond warrant detailing several serious crimes against Kirsten, including kidnapping.

On July 13, the day her husband allegedly abducted Kirsten from her Lincoln County home, Castle Rock Police told 7NEWS that because Kirsten and Richard Lockett weren't from their community, Richard's violent past wasn't on their radar.

But, Lincoln County sheriff's Captain Michael Yowell says his agency had two phone conversations with the Castle Rock police laying out the danger Richard Lockett posed to his wife. In those calls, Yowell says his agency alerted Castle Rock police about Richard Lockett's suicidal and homicidal threats and urged them to remain vigilant and have extra patrols around the Castle Rock home where Kirsten was taking  refuge.

"They were given a specific address of concern, as well as basically reiterating the information that had already been posted on multiple BOLOs (be on the lookout) and the all-points bulletin advising of the armed-and-dangerous nature, the caution indicators that were related to Richard Lockett," Yowell told 7NEWS reporter Mark Boyle on Thursday.

A ping to Lockett's cellphone location initially lead investigators to the Colorado springs area.

That's when Captain Yowell says the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office called the Colorado State Police, Colorado Springs Police and soon, afterward, the Castle Rock Police Department directly.

7NEWS reached out Thursday to Castle Rock police who declined to comment on the case, because they have already turned the criminal case over to the District Attorney’s Office.

UPDATE: After this story was published, a Lincoln County sheriff's deputy resigned after admitting he never actually called Castle Rock police to warn them about Richard Lockett.