San Juan County authorities on Friday identified the victim of a fatal stabbing as Silverton resident Jessica McFarland. She was 32.
The early Friday morning killing is the first in nearly 30 years for the small town of Silverton, population 628, about 50 miles north of Durango in San Juan County.
The incident occurred at a Silverton home at about 1:45 a.m. Friday in the 1300 block of Mineral Street.
The victim’s husband, Michael McFarland, was arrested without incident Friday, according to a sheriff’s office news release Friday afternoon.
McFarland is in custody at the La Plata County jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, a Class 3 felony, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
Though not many Silverton residents know the full details of the crime, the news has shaken up the community.
Bill Walko, owner of Natalia’s 1912 Family Restaurant in Silverton, was shocked to hear the news. He knew of both Jessica and Michael McFarland, he said.
“It’s shocking and very, very sad,” he said. “It’s really a tragedy.”
Silverton resident Gilbert Archuleta is vacationing in Texas and by Friday had already been made aware of the crime through family and friends, he said.
Law-enforcement officials in San Juan County said the investigation is ongoing.
Keri Metzler, the county coroner, was on her way to examine the crime scene with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at about 11:45 a.m. At the time, she was able to confirm a report of a dead person with possible stab wounds. The victim was later identified as Jessica McFarland, mother of two.
The last homicide in Silverton occurred in 1985, the sheriff’s office said.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
