A man was arrested after an alleged stabbing attack happened at a gas and oil well site near Greeley. The 34-year-old is accused of stabbing a 20-year-old coworker five times in the face and neck during an altercation. The Colorado man now faces charges of first-degree assault and attempted first-degree murder.
In the early morning, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office received a call about an alleged stabbing attack between two of the caller’s coworkers. The caller claims that he and the suspect took a break, and the caller went into the office. Shortly thereafter, the caller claimed to have heard a fight outside and saw the suspect purportedly standing near another man who was hunched over.
The investigating officers arrived on the scene, and one coworker identified the man as a potential suspect. When they detained him for questioning, the officers claim that the suspect had a substance under his fingernails that could have been blood. The investigators hypothesize that the fight might have been about a romantic relationship that had recently ended between the man and one of the victim’s family members, but this is only a theory. The alleged weapon was not found.
Potentially, the biggest problem that the prosecution may encounter if this case goes to trial is the fact that no one witnessed the actual alleged assault other than the victim. Eyewitness testimony may not be the most reliable form of evidence, but it is more credible when multiple people are able to give similar accounts. Even though the victim’s testimony would likely be used at trial and even though blood may have been found on the suspect, the burden of proof remains on Colorado prosecutors to prove that the suspect actually did attack the coworker. Otherwise, the man’s charges may be modified or even dropped due to lack of evidence.
Source: greeleytribune.com, Bond set at $500,000 for man arrested after allegedly stabbing co-worker 5 times at well site near Greely, Jason Pohl, Jan. 30, 2014
