In a dramatic turn of events in a Colorado mountain town, authorities are piecing together a chilling narrative surrounding Daniel DeVito, a man accused of committing murder and wounding another woman days prior. The 46-year-old DeVito is facing charges for the first-degree murder of 32-year-old Jordan Labarre. The case against him has grown more complex with recent revelations from law enforcement.

This summer, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation disclosed DeVito’s arrest, and the case took center stage again during preliminary hearings held on Monday and Tuesday. The case’s origins trace back to a tense evening on July 7. Around 6:20 p.m., officers from six different law enforcement agencies, including the Colorado State Patrol and Blue River Police Department, converged on a residence following reports of gunfire. The scene unfolded on Aspen Meadows Circle in Blue River, a town nestled roughly 85 miles west of Denver.

As officers approached the scene, they were met with the unmistakable sounds of gunfire from within the house. Taking swift action, they surrounded the residence and commanded the individual inside to surrender. DeVito emerged and was subsequently taken into custody, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

In a startling confession, DeVito allegedly told officers he had killed three people inside the home, claiming they were members of a cartel. This information was detailed in arrest papers obtained by KMGH, a local ABC affiliate. DeVito reportedly expressed that the “Cartel are after me” and mentioned shooting “two guys in body armor,” adding a layer of intrigue and complexity to the unfolding case.

He had “killed three people in the house that were Cartel,” DeVito told officers, per arrest papers obtained by local ABC affiliate KMGH. He also “spontaneously” told them that “the Cartel are after me” and that he shot “two guys in body armor.”

Inside the home, police found one body — Labarre”s. She reportedly had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and her death was ruled a homicide. She is believed to have tried to lock herself in the master bedroom of the home to get away from DeVito, but he forced it open and shot her in the corner of the room, per Summit Daily.

Authorities said DeVito was charged with “an unrelated offense and lodged at the Summit County Detention Facility.” Two days later, he was charged with Labarre’s murder.

DeVito and Labarre were believed to have been romantically involved at some point.

In the days following the victim’s death, another woman came forward with a harrowing story. She reported being attacked at the same home just days earlier.

On the morning of July 4, after sleeping over at DeVito’s residence, she was suddenly woken up, held prisoner inside of a bathroom in the home, with DeVito “warning her that he would blow her head off if she came out,” court documents state, per KMGH.

She reportedly believed him, knowing there were weapons in the house. DeVito allegedly forced her to answer questions on sheets of paper such as “What’s the meaning behind truth and honor?”

When she was let out of the bathroom, another man was reportedly present at the home. The men are accused of zip-tying her to a swing, with DeVito allegedly using a “switch blade knife” to cut her across her chest and making a footlong wound.

The woman “thought she was going to die,” according to the court records. During a court appearance this week, DeVito was accused of pouring hydrogen peroxide on the woman’s open wound. She eventually got away, and she said she did not initially report the attack because she feared retaliation.

According to Summit Daily, DeVito also faces charges of first-degree assault, menacing with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, criminal mischief and domestic violence. He is expected to enter a plea on Jan. 20, 2026.