During their years at the University of Northern Colorado, Ignacio Garraus and Heather Hodges (soon Heather Garraus), crossed paths at a party. Ignacio, a sociable and confident young man, quickly caught Heather’s eye. From that moment, a deep connection blossomed between them. Heather’s lively personality, along with her fair skin, red lips, and dark hair, intrigued Ignacio, and he was soon drawn to her. With excitement, he asked her out on a date. Thrilled by the attention, Heather Garraus eagerly shared her happiness with her roommates, who saw this as the start of something special, especially since Ignacio had never been in a serious relationship before.
Their romance quickly grew into a devoted relationship. Ignacio, with his caring nature, often surprised Heather Garraus with small gestures, like flowers or her favorite coffee. His thoughtfulness strengthened their bond, and it wasn’t long before they both knew they had found something lasting. After graduating, Ignacio proposed, and Heather joyfully accepted—but she made her expectations clear: she would not tolerate infidelity under any circumstances. Their wedding was a celebration of love, filled with joy as they embarked on a life together.
A New Life Together
Settling into their married life, Ignacio began his career as a police officer with the Colorado Police Department, while Heather Garraus took on a supervisory role at a local credit union, where she earned admiration for her compassion and professionalism. Not long after, they welcomed their daughter, Victoria, filling their home with love and happiness. By 1997, their life seemed idyllic.
The picture of their happy family life was disrupted by Heather’s loss of her parents. Her father passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and her mother succumbed to cancer in 2003 after a lengthy battle. Heather Garraus dedicated herself to her mother’s care during her illness, with Ignacio’s support as he took on extra responsibilities at home. However, as Heather grieved, Ignacio’s attention began to wander.
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An Affair Begins
During this period, Ignacio formed a connection with Shawna Nelson, a dispatcher at his department. Shawna, married to Ken, a Weld County deputy, was in a strained marriage with two young children. Their friendly conversations turned increasingly flirtatious, eventually leading to an affair. While Ignacio and Shawna kept their relationship secret, it became a source of speculation within their community, although Heather Garraus remained unaware.
Their affair took a serious turn when Shawna discovered she was pregnant. When she informed Ignacio, he reacted with skepticism, questioning if he was indeed the father due to Ken’s vasectomy. Reluctantly, Ignacio urged her to consider terminating the pregnancy to avoid complications in his own marriage. Shawna, frustrated and feeling dismissed, reached a breaking point.
Eventually, Shawna, unable to keep her emotions in check, decided to confront Heather Garraus publicly. Accompanied by a friend, she followed Heather into a grocery store and confronted her with accusations. This encounter left Heather stunned and bewildered. Upon returning home, Heather confronted Ignacio about Shawna, who dismissed her as an infatuated colleague. Though he promised to address the situation, Shawna’s persistence only escalated.
Heather’s Growing Suspicion
As Shawna’s actions grew bolder, even arriving uninvited to their home one evening, Heather’s initial confusion turned into suspicion. Despite Ignacio’s reassurances, Heather was left with lingering questions about her husband’s connection to Shawna and the real story behind her erratic behavior. Their seemingly perfect life began to unravel, leaving Heather Garraus searching for answers she wasn’t sure she wanted to find.
At the county dispatch center, Shawna Nelson’s infatuation with Ignacio Garraus became an open secret. In moments of vulnerability, she shared details about her intense feelings for Ignacio, describing them as unlike anything she’d experienced before. But her frustration was equally strong—Heather, Ignacio’s wife, stood in the way of what Shawna wanted. This internal conflict began affecting Shawna’s job performance. According to her supervisor, Shawna even mentioned going to the shooting range to relieve her anger, admitting she visualized Heather Garraus on the targets.
Shawna’s husband, Ken, was oblivious to her affair until he stumbled upon her diary. The entries revealed everything, leaving Ken shocked and betrayed. Yet, for the sake of their children, he chose to stay in the marriage. Meanwhile, Shawna found a twisted sense of power in the riskiness of her relationship with Ignacio, even threatening to tell Heather Garraus if he ever tried to end things. As her obsession grew, she tattooed Ignacio’s last name on her leg in July 2005, a bold display of her attachment. Soon after, she learned about Ignacio’s dinner plans with his family and orchestrated a chance encounter at the same restaurant, escalating her efforts to insert herself into his life.
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The Second Pregnancy and Another Secret
Shawna’s fixation didn’t waver, and when she became pregnant again, she was determined to keep the baby, whom she named Christian. She gave birth in March 2006, still married to Ken, who reluctantly agreed to raise the child as his own if Shawna stayed with him. Heather Garraus remained unaware of the child’s existence.
In the summer of 2006, Heather received shocking news from a stranger: Shawna had given birth to Ignacio’s child. Distraught, Heather confronted Ignacio, who, desperate to keep his affair hidden, lied again. Though heartbroken, Heather believed him. But later that year, in December, Ignacio disappeared one night, only to return and finally come clean. He admitted to his years-long affair with Shawna, her pregnancies, and the birth of their son. Heather Garraus, as promised, ended their relationship and asked him to leave. But, torn between anger and a desire to keep their family together for their daughter’s sake, she reconsidered.
In an emotional conversation, Heather told Ignacio she was willing to try and save their marriage, but on strict terms. She demanded he undergo an STD test, commit to counseling, relinquish his parental rights to Shawna’s child, and sever all ties with Shawna. Desperate to repair the damage, Ignacio agreed. When he called Shawna to end the affair, Heather listened in, hearing his words as he closed that chapter. Moments later, Shawna sent Heather Garraus a chilling message, including a photo of Ignacio’s son with the caption, “Flesh and blood.”
Shawna’s anger only grew as she realized Ignacio was choosing Heather Garraus. She began exploring the idea of seeking child support for Christian, and her harassment intensified. Meanwhile, Heather and Ignacio were focused on rebuilding their marriage. However, Shawna’s interference continued, leading them to take additional measures to protect themselves. They started parking Heather’s car in the garage and sought legal assistance, sending Shawna a formal cease-and-desist letter demanding she leave their family alone.
Despite these warnings, Shawna ignored the boundaries, bombarding Heather Garraus with relentless messages and calls, filled with insults and threats.
A Fatal Encounter
On January 23, 2007, as Heather finished her workday at the credit union, she looked forward to an evening with her daughter. She left the building with co-workers, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. As she walked into the dimly lit parking lot, a masked figure dressed in black emerged from the shadows, gun in hand, fixated on Heather Garraus.
As Heather’s colleagues scrambled for cover, the masked assailant pointed a gun at her, demanding that she kneel. “You’ve ruined my life,” the assailant declared before shooting her twice in the head. The shooter quickly escaped, running to a nearby red truck and speeding away from the scene. Heather’s colleagues, horrified by what they had witnessed, immediately called 911. Paramedics arrived swiftly, but despite their efforts, Heather’s injuries were fatal, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Upon identifying Heather as the victim, officers realized she was the wife of Ignacio Garraus. They called him urgently, instructing him to come to the hospital. Rushing through the halls, Ignacio was stopped by a doctor, who delivered the heartbreaking news: Heather Garraus had passed away. Shaken and overwhelmed, Ignacio now faced the painful task of explaining his wife’s death to their 9-year-old daughter, Victoria.
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Witnesses and Clues Lead to Shawna
Witnesses in the parking lot recounted their experiences, noting that the shooter had fled in a red truck and, based on their movements, might have been a woman. Shawna Nelson’s name soon surfaced in the investigation due to her history of harassment toward Heather Garraus, and the red truck matched the description of her vehicle. Officers issued a statewide alert to locate Shawna and her truck.
Meanwhile, Shawna’s husband, Ken, was on duty and heard the alert about his wife and her vehicle. Following orders, he found Shawna near their home. Her behavior raised suspicion: she was barefoot in the freezing Colorado weather, wearing only socks, underwear, and pants. Ken called the police, who took Shawna into custody.
Investigators uncovered significant evidence linking Shawna to Heather’s murder. At the crime scene, they found shoes with Shawna’s DNA, bullet casings matching Ken’s service weapon, and a Halloween mask under the seat of Ken’s truck, similar to the one reportedly worn by the shooter. A recently cleaned bathtub in Shawna’s home raised further suspicion, suggesting she might have intended to destroy evidence. Although the casings matched Ken’s weapon, the actual gun used in the shooting was never recovered.
Shawna was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Ken faced accusations of tampering with evidence and possible complicity. Shawna, however, insisted on her innocence, claiming she had only been running errands and denied any involvement in Heather’s death. Ignacio was also questioned at length but was cleared of any suspicion by February 2008.
Shawna’s Trial and the Verdict
Shawna’s trial began with her pleading not guilty. Prosecutors highlighted her obsession with Ignacio as a possible motive. In a surprising twist, Shawna’s former best friend agreed to testify against her in exchange for a reduced sentence. She described Shawna’s longstanding resentment toward Heather Garraus. Throughout the trial, Shawna denied any fantasies about harming Heather, claiming she was on her way to a liquor store at the time of the shooting. She even alleged that her best friend had fabricated stories out of obsession. The prosecution argued that Shawna may have worn Ken’s clothes during the attack to implicate him, suggesting she believed that eliminating Heather would allow her and Ignacio to be together.
After five hours of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Shawna was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ken subsequently resigned from the police department, filed for divorce, and moved away with his children, including Christian, the son Shawna had with Ignacio. He later returned to Colorado, hoping his children might someday visit Shawna in prison, as he believed she still cared for them.
In a devastating twist, Heather Garraus and Ignacio’s daughter, Victoria, passed away in 2015 at the age of 17 after losing control of her vehicle and hitting a tree. The loss marked yet another painful chapter for a family that had already endured unimaginable heartbreak.
