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Murder suspect makes 2nd court appearance

Scott Franz
Cole Pollard
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Cole Pollard, the man accused of murdering 22-year-old Patricia Richmond last week in North Routt County, made a brief court appearance in Routt County Court Monday afternoon as several people affected by the woman’s death looked on.

There were no major developments in the courtroom, and a status conference in the case was set for July 20.

Court documents filed recently reveal that Pollard, 21, allegedly left a suicide note in his vehicle after the alleged crime.



The discovery of this note was one of the reasons the Routt County District’s Attorney’s Office is objecting to a request from Pollard that he be allowed to wear street clothes and not be restrained in the courtroom during pretrial proceedings.

Pollard was arrested Wednesday at a campsite in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.



According to his arrest affidavit, Pollard told deputies he “snapped,” choked Richmond to death and then raped her at a home just east of Clark off of Seedhouse Road.

Pollard has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and theft.

One of the murder charges is related to sexual assault.

He is being held without bond.

Richmond, a 2010 Soroco High School graduate, was engaged to be married to 24-year-old Keith West, a distant cousin of Pollard’s.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210, email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottFranz10


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