Double homicide details revealed; murder charges stand

By Dan MacArthur
Correspondent

A lethal cocktail of sex, guns, drugs and money led to the grisly murder of two men at a rural Fort Collins home in February, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing for one of the two suspects charged in the crime.

Despite Mark Walker's insistence that fellow suspect Edward Platzer actually committed the murders, District Court Judge Jolene Blair found probable cause to try Walker on six charges of first-degree murder. She ordered Walker to remain jailed without bail.

Walker, 36, and Platzer, 39, are accused of the Feb. 6 murders of Robert Hill, 54, and John Miller, 46, at Hill's Cherry Hills Drive home northeast of Fort Collins. Hill was shot once in the chest and his skull was shattered with an improvised club. Miller was shot twice in the head after he apparently arrived at Hill's home while the crime was in progress. Platzer faces identical charges. His preliminary hearing is set for May 3.

Testimony by Larimer County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Robert Coleman consumed most of the three-hour hearing on April 23. He methodically detailed claims made by Walker in four interviews prior to his arrest.

Walker described to Coleman a steadily decaying relationship with Hill, his neighbor of six years, that led to the deadly daylight mission to rob Hill of drugs, guns and money connected to Hill's cocaine dealing. Walker said that in January he took suspicions about Hill to the Larimer County Drug Task Force. According to Coleman, the task force confirmed that Hill was involved in narcotics.

According to Coleman, Walker said for years he had suffered "intimidation and frustration at the hands of Mr. Hill." The confrontations apparently accelerated after Walker accused Hill of providing his wife with cocaine and then videotaping the two of them having sex. Coleman said a neighbor reported hearing Walker shout a threat at Hill to "put a bullet in your (expletive) head if I find you've been (expletive) my wife."

Walker contended that Hill commonly drugged women and videotaped them having sex with him. In a search of his home, investigators found videotapes of Hill involved in sex acts. None apparently included Walker's wife. However, Walker told Coleman that following the crime he destroyed a videotape that he believed depicted his wife.

Hill, Walker contended, also had expressed predatory interests in his teenage daughter, telling Walker that he looked forward to having sex with her.

Walker said he met Platzer in November while they were working together at a construction site. Platzer was living in his truck at the time and Walker said he offered to let him stay at his home in exchange for Platzer's help in remodeling the residence. Walker and his wife, Kari, by then had separated and she had moved with their three children to a LaPorte apartment.

According to Coleman, Walker said he vented to Platzer his anger at Hill, and Platzer for a month preceding the murder plotted to rob Hill of his guns, cash and cocaine.

The plan was set into play when Platzer picked Walker up at his wife's apartment at about 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 6, according to Walker. He said they drove to confront Hill at his house, where Hill and Platzer apparently had partied together the previous two evenings.

Upon arrival, according to Walker, Platzer said, "Let's have a little fun with Bob." Walker said Platzer handed him a club fashioned from a table leg wrapped with several layers of tape and Walker followed Platzer into the house through an unlocked sliding back door. Walker said he stayed just inside the door while Platzer sought out Hill, at first calling his name and then walking out to an auto body shop behind the house. After returning to the house, Walker told Coleman, Platzer proceeded to Hill's bedroom. Walker said he heard the sounds of a semi-automatic pistol being cocked and a door being kicked open followed by a gunshot.

Walker said he saw Platzer standing in the doorway kicking and taunting Hill, shouting "Where's all the money? Where's all the drugs." According to Walker, Platzer called him into the bedroom, handed him the .45-caliber pistol and told him to stay with the wounded and pleading Hill while Platzer searched the house. Upon returning, Walker said, Platzer invited him to beat Hill with the club, but he declined and returned to the bar area just inside the door. There, Walker said he heard Platzer beating Hill with the club.

Walker said Miller pulled into the driveway while they were gathering Hill's guns. He said Platzer intercepted Miller, pushed him into the house at gunpoint and demanded to know the location of the drugs and money. When Miller denied any knowledge, Walker said Platzer punched Miller in the face, knocking him to the ground before shooting him.

After abandoning the guns in Miller's truck, Walker said he and Platzer drove to a convenience store and then to the Ramada Inn to retrieve their belongings before checking out. They had been living there because the electricity had been shut off to Walker's house, which was being foreclosed. They then returned to the convenience store for cigarettes before Platzer drove Walker back to his wife's apartment. There Walker said he disposed of his boots in a Dumpster.

Defense attorney Lee Christian sought to portray his client as an unwilling participant coerced into the crime by a gun-wielding Platzer. "He denies pulling the trigger," said Christian, "He denies swinging the club."

Christian also noted that Walker had been cooperative with investigators and said he "felt very bad about it."

"So he claims," Coleman responded. "We just have Mr. Walker's statement as how it progressed."

Platzer's violent history as a convicted felon with six assault arrests also supports Walker's insistence that Platzer actually committed the murders, Christian contended. On questioning, Coleman testified that Platzer was known to be nicknamed "Crazy Ed."

"Mr. Platzer went off at Mr. Hill's home," argued Christian.

But Chief Deputy District Attorney Greg Lammons contended that, even taken in its most positive light, Walker by his own statement conceded that he was a party to the murders by his presence and his actions in holding Hill and Miller captive.