Authorities have arrested a member of a white supremacist gang linked
to the killing Colorado's prisons chief, who was shot answering the
door of his home last month.
El Paso County sheriff's spokesman Jeff Kramer says James Lohr was taken into custody early Friday.
Lohr was wanted for questioning in the murder of Colorado Corrections Director Tom Clements.
It's unclear if Lohr has been charged.
Authorities believe Lohr was in contact with gang associate Evan Ebel days before the murders of Clements and pizza delivery man Nate Leon.
Police say they believe Ebel killed Leon and Clements before he was killed in a shootout in Texas.
His motive in the killings isn't clear.
According to KRDO-TV Lohr was arrested by Colorado Springs police after a short foot chase when police tried to stop a car.
Earlier this week, police announced they were looking for Lohr, 47, and Thomas Guolee, 31, in connection to the homicide investigation.
An officer safety bulletin regarding the two was sent out Wednesday.
El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said said Lohr and Guolee are known associates of the 211 Crew. That's the same gang whose members included Evan Ebel.
Both Lohr and Guolee were already wanted on warrants unrelated to Clements' death.
Guolee, who remains at large, is a parolee who served time for intimidating a witness and giving a pawnbroker false information, among other charges, court records show.
Lohr was being sought on warrants out of Las Animas County for a bail violation and a violation of a protection order, according to court records.
The 211 gang is one of the most vicious white supremacist groups operating in U.S. prisons, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups. It was founded in 1995 to protect white prisoners from attacks and operates only in Colorado, according to the center.
Ebel joined the 211 Crew after he entered prison in 2005 for a string of assault and menacing charges that combined for an eight-year sentence.
He was supposed to spend an extra four years in prison for punching a prison officer in the face in 2006, but a clerical error led that sentence to be recorded as one to be served simultaneously with his previous sentences.
He was released on parole January 28.
Records show that the vendor operating the electronic monitoring bracelet that Ebel wore noted a 'tamper alert' March 14. Corrections officials left a message for Ebel telling him to report in two days and have the bracelet repaired, records show.
The next day, for the first time since his release, Ebel did not call in for his daily phone check-in.
On March 16, he missed his appointment to repair the bracelet. Only on the following day do the records show that a note was made in the corrections system that he failed to show up.
By then, Leon, a father of three, was shot and killed after answering a call for a pizza at a Denver truck stop.
On March 18, parole officers
contacted Ebel's father, who said he was concerned his son had fled and
gave them permission to search Evan Ebel's apartment. The next
afternoon, two parole officers concluded he had fled.
Hours later, Clements answered his doorbell and was fatally shot.
The next morning, still unaware of a connection with the most recent slaying, the state issued a warrant for Ebel's arrest on parole violations.
A sheriff's deputy in rural Texas pulled Ebel over March 21, but he fled. Ebel was killed in the shootout that followed.
Clements, born in St. Louis, worked for 31 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, both in prison and as a parole officer, before he joined the Colorado Department of Corrections in 2011.
El Paso County sheriff's spokesman Jeff Kramer says James Lohr was taken into custody early Friday.
Lohr was wanted for questioning in the murder of Colorado Corrections Director Tom Clements.
It's unclear if Lohr has been charged.
Authorities believe Lohr was in contact with gang associate Evan Ebel days before the murders of Clements and pizza delivery man Nate Leon.
Police say they believe Ebel killed Leon and Clements before he was killed in a shootout in Texas.
His motive in the killings isn't clear.
According to KRDO-TV Lohr was arrested by Colorado Springs police after a short foot chase when police tried to stop a car.
Earlier this week, police announced they were looking for Lohr, 47, and Thomas Guolee, 31, in connection to the homicide investigation.
An officer safety bulletin regarding the two was sent out Wednesday.
El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer said said Lohr and Guolee are known associates of the 211 Crew. That's the same gang whose members included Evan Ebel.
Mystery: Police suspect Evan Ebel, a member of
the 211 Crew prison gang, killed Colorado Department of Corrections
Director Tom Clements (left). Ebel (right) was killed in a police
shootout last month
Enlarge
Investigators
have said the gun Ebel used in the shootout he was killed in was the
same gun used to kill Clements when the prisons chief answered the front
door of his home.
Wanted: Thomas Guolee, 31,remains at large
Both Lohr and Guolee were already wanted on warrants unrelated to Clements' death.
Guolee, who remains at large, is a parolee who served time for intimidating a witness and giving a pawnbroker false information, among other charges, court records show.
Lohr was being sought on warrants out of Las Animas County for a bail violation and a violation of a protection order, according to court records.
The 211 gang is one of the most vicious white supremacist groups operating in U.S. prisons, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups. It was founded in 1995 to protect white prisoners from attacks and operates only in Colorado, according to the center.
Ebel joined the 211 Crew after he entered prison in 2005 for a string of assault and menacing charges that combined for an eight-year sentence.
He was supposed to spend an extra four years in prison for punching a prison officer in the face in 2006, but a clerical error led that sentence to be recorded as one to be served simultaneously with his previous sentences.
Authorities believe Lohr was in contact with
gang associate Evan Ebel days before the murders of Clements and pizza
delivery man Nate Leon
Chaos: Ebel was killed by police following a shootout and a high-speed chase that resulted in a fiery crash in Texas
Lisa Clements, Tom Clements' widow, is supported by her daughters Sara (L) and Rachel as she speaks at his memorial
Records show that the vendor operating the electronic monitoring bracelet that Ebel wore noted a 'tamper alert' March 14. Corrections officials left a message for Ebel telling him to report in two days and have the bracelet repaired, records show.
The next day, for the first time since his release, Ebel did not call in for his daily phone check-in.
On March 16, he missed his appointment to repair the bracelet. Only on the following day do the records show that a note was made in the corrections system that he failed to show up.
By then, Leon, a father of three, was shot and killed after answering a call for a pizza at a Denver truck stop.
Lisa leaves his memorial services with minister Matt Heard (R) and L.M. Jaros at New Life Church
Family man: Clements, the married father of two daughters, was mourned by law enforcement officials across the state
Hours later, Clements answered his doorbell and was fatally shot.
The next morning, still unaware of a connection with the most recent slaying, the state issued a warrant for Ebel's arrest on parole violations.
A sheriff's deputy in rural Texas pulled Ebel over March 21, but he fled. Ebel was killed in the shootout that followed.
Clements, born in St. Louis, worked for 31 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, both in prison and as a parole officer, before he joined the Colorado Department of Corrections in 2011.