An Archuleta County man was being held Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with a stabbing death that occurred Sunday morning west of Pagosa Springs.
Law enforcement learned of the incident at 10:56 a.m. when the victim called 911 requesting assistance, according to a news release issued Monday by the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.
During the 911 call, the victim identified his attacker as Chance Remlinger, 23, the release said. By the time law enforcement arrived at 11:02 a.m., the victim had died from his injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
As of Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office declined to identify the victim pending notification of next of kin. He is described as being between the ages of 30 and 40.
The victim’s body was found near an outbuilding in the 300 block of Bobcat Lane, west of Pagosa Springs.
A witness reported seeing Remlinger leave the subdivision at a high rate of speed about the time of the 911 call, the release said. He was seen driving a gray, 1997 Dodge pickup truck.
At 1:28 p.m., a Colorado State Patrol trooper found Remlinger and his vehicle parked on Colorado Highway 84, about 3 miles south of U.S. Highway 160, southeast of Pagosa.
The trooper placed Remlinger under arrest without incident, said Undersheriff Derek Woodman with the Sheriff’s Office. He was being held Monday on $50,000 bail at the Archuleta County Detention Facility.
Remlinger has not given a statement and indicated he wanted to speak with an attorney, Woodman said. Remlinger was living on the property of the victim, suggesting a minimum of a landlord-tenant relationship and possibly a business relationship, Woodman said.
Law enforcement recovered a folding knife that is believed to have been used in the stabbing, Woodman said.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
shane@durangoherald.com
A previous version of the story erred in saying an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday. Incorrect information was provided to the Herald.
