DENVER – A 16-year-old arrested in connection with the murder of a 58-year-old man in Fort Collins in early July has been formally charged as an adult with first-degree murder.
Benjamin Zwahlen, 16, was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 58-year-old Todd Stout, who was found dead underneath a bridge in Fort Collins on July 5.
Zwahlen was arrested on Aug. 17 after more than a month of investigation into Stout’s death, but police did not release his name at the time because he is a juvenile.
Stout had recently moved to Fort Collins from Missouri, and detectives have said they believe he was temporarily living under the bridge along Mason Street where his body was found.
Police said in July Stout had died of sharp-force injuries and said they had identified a suspect who drove up to where Stout was killed in an SUV around 1 a.m. on July 5. The criminal complaint in the case remains sealed.
Fort Collins police spokesperson Jeff Swoboda said previously that Stout was a father and grandfather remembered for his sense of humor.
Fort Collins police said Tuesday Zwahlen remains in the juvenile detention center pending his next court hearing. The department said detectives continue to investigate the murder and Zwahlen’s activities on the days surrounding it.
Anyone with information is asked to call FCPS Detective Julia Chenoweth at 970-416-2645 or Larimer County Crime Stoppers at 970-221-6868.
