There are typical scenarios found in many criminal cases. A crime is committed, it's discovered, investigation occurs, and it gets solved. From there, it goes to trial, where it's followed up by convictions and sentencing. But what if an individual who was involved in the investigation was responsible for the actual crime in the first place, could they get away with it? Well?
In the case of Candace Hilts, it is highly theorized that a local deputy who investigated the case was pulling far more strings behind the scene than anybody could have ever guessed.
My name's Ben, I'm Nicole, and you're listening to Wicked and Grim, a true crime podcast.
The following audience listeners, It's Wicked and Grim Friday. How's it going.
Yeah, we've been doing this for a few weeks now.
We have been the two week episode releases. How you guys liking it? Enjoying it? Is it too much? Is it not enough? I'm curious, tell us tell us all it just perfect? Maybe it's just right. Maybe could you turn my head headphone volume up a little bit? It sounds weird and my headphones to me. Sorry, but yeah, the two week thing has been it's been good. For us. It's been keeping us busy, that's for sure. And as far as I can tell, everyone else likes it. So
you didn't turn the volume up? What are you hear this volume control? I have no idea I turned you up over here. That's the audio gain for my mic.
I don't know what the hell I'm doing here.
All that's way better? Oh, little lower, little lower? There we go, perfect? Okay, God, I couldn't hear like anything out of my headphones.
Did you know I have gotten such minimal steps today? I just looked at my fit bit and it's actually quite embarrassing.
How many steps? Three thousand? Wow?
I even like went out and shit, so is this thing broken? Maybe what's going on here?
Maybe I got to reach over and turn the volume down. So I can't believe this three thousand. I definitely got more than three step three thousand steps? Huh. I was out working with Defense Electric today dropping some names, doing some video. So yeah, cool, Yeah, it was good. It was a good time.
Maybe I shouldn't have skipped the gym today.
Maybe you shouldn't, But do you want to know what else is a really good time? Gym? Of course? Is this is a really good time. Yeah, it is. Yeah, it was also another thing, it's a fantastic good time, is going to be on Saturday where we're doing a live stream over on Patreon for our month and case. The exclusive case is going to be a live stream PST noon Pacific Standard time. Yes, so that's happening this Saturday.
If you want to be a part of that, you can go ahead and subscribe over on a Patreon page. Make sure you have the top tier. I think it's the all access tier right to get the access to the exclusive episodes. That's going to be exciting though, it should be should be a good time. Yeah. I got one more thing I want to touch on before we get into this case. Okay, let's do her Merch Merch, Merch, Wicked and Grim Merch. Right.
You do have an update on that, don't you.
Yes. So we've had many a merch released over the course of our podcast career. I'd say we probably got like ten different designs something like that released for us, all designed by us, and there's only been two that we've retired and they're technically the same design, just different versions. It's the exclusive Jacko ones from the patre Yeah, so
those are the only retired ones. But soon, in the coming probably a month or so, we're gonna be retiring much, if not all, of our current merch to come out with all new ones and doing a little refresh. Ah. Yes, So if you guys are looking up and eyeing up our merch, make sure you go check it out. Maybe we'll even drop drop some price in the last week or so before we retire these ones. Who knows, we'll see, but yeah, go ahead and take it is. There are
some good ones in there. I'm gonna have to order some shit, I will say. Some of these ones that are being retired, it doesn't mean that they won't eventually come back, but they're being retired for now. They're going to the vault. Okay, the Jacko ones, the exclusive ones, those ones are retired for good. But these ones, they may come back one day or maybe a different iteration of it, who knows.
My all time favorite one is the like skeleton hens cheers cheersing with like wine and Scotch.
It's just it's perfect. See I'm kind of partial to just like our logo. Yeah, I like that one. You do like that one?
I do too, But why did you stop and stare at me weird.
Because it sounds like you're going to say something else. I do too. But and then but what.
I I don't know.
I wasn't going to you do too.
Those we're really awkward, and I was off guard.
I was awkward anyways, awkwardness aside, Are you ready for today's case of Candice Hilt? Have you heard of this one? No? You know what? I don't hear of shit? Apparently, What do you mean apparently? I just like, I don't know.
I sometimes think I live in a bubble and I just I should know more true crime cases than I do.
Well, we research two different cases a week. We hear about many cases. It's it's not a pastime for us much anymore to really dive into true crime. You know, it's a bit more work. So, I mean, in our pastime, in our in our downtime, in our extracurricular we don't watch a whole lot of like Netflix crime documentaries anymore. Yeah, I know, I do a bit, but not much. I think I've said this.
I just like listen to audiobooks mostly in my pastime.
Yeah, so I can't blame you for not keeping up on the latest and great Well, I won't say greatest but the latest of true crime, because I don't really either, and I honestly I rely heavily on listeners and Patreon to fill us in which they constantly thank Goodness for them, which I actually that reminds me. I got to get back to Larissa, who messaged me about a case and
asking me my thoughts. Yeah, so I Larissa, if I still haven't answered you, if you're listening to this message me again and call me out because I saw your message. I just haven't got to it yet. My bad. Anyways, Let's get onto this. Ka, I've die, I digress. Let's do this. Let's do it, okay. So Candace Hilts. Candace was born on December twenty second, nineteen eighty eight, in Canyon City, Colorado. Now she lived here with her mother or Sibl and father until unfortunately, would of course be
the subject of today's case. Now, her father would unfortunately pass away when she was only five years old. And despite this early loss, life must go on, as they say, and Candice would thrive. She was a star academically and quickly gained a reputation as an exceptionally gifted student. Her intelligence was so remarkable that by the age of eleven, she was already tackling calculus, earning the title of a child prodigy.
Wow, that is hard. Like I've taken freaking calculus. I feel like I almost failed it, to be honest.
And almost every single other true crime podcast or YouTube video that I saw regarding this case or doing my research and other people's opinions and stuff like that, everyone makes a joke here about how they couldn't even do calculus today if they tried. And I'm going to be one of them, because I still use my fingers and toes at times to do some math. So being eleven and calculus is impressive. That's very impressive.
But I do feel like there's certain people that just math comes or they like it, or it comes like a little bit more naturally to them, right, like they're just gifted with it.
I feel like, and she clearly is. Definitely it came natural to her. Whether she was gifted or just enjoyed it, I don't know. She was, like I said, a child prodigy. Yeah. Now. Growing up in a household with brothers, Candace was often
described as a bit of a tomboy. She enjoyed many of the same activities as their brothers, like you know, working out for example, that kind of bodybuilding sort of stuff, but also had a fondness for more traditionally feminine things such as jewelry, particularly beaded necklaces, which she loved to wear. Not going to say that like bodybuilding is a dude's thing and not like woman's whatever, but it's just like, you know, like traditionally speaking, there's yeah, you guys know
what I mean. So from an early age, Candace developed a strong sense of justice. She was known for standing up against bullies and always wanting to help that was in need. To put it simple, she didn't take nobody's shit like it. I like that a lot. Yeah, Her ambition in life was clear. She dreamed of attending Stanford Law School and aspired to one day serve as a Supreme Court justice. By the time she was only seventeen years old, she was already in her third year at
Birmingham University. You're kidding me, seventeen, third year at university, and she had even at this point now been accepted into Stanford Home. Accepted to Stanford at seventeen.
That's wild, hey, yeah, like how wow, Yeah, she's she's a genius.
Well, yeah, that's incredible. Now. However, everything seemed to be going great for her, but her life took a little bit of a different turn than she expected when she became pregnant. It was a difficult choice for her, but at the time it was an easy one. She knew what she had to do. She chose to prioritize her a new role as a mother and care for her child. So Candace decided to continue her education online so that she could stay at home and care for her new
kid to come. Oh wow, Okay, now it may have actually set her back academically, but she was already so far ahead of her peers that if it were to take a few years off, by the time she went back, everyone else who she was like going to high school with would now be caught up to her right and she'd be right back on track. So it's not like she's really actually losing at all. That's true. Yeah, that's totally true. Yeah, So to her it really wasn't much
of a loss. She gets to, like, hey, raise her kid, be part of the kid's life, be present, and then go back to school and be right back on track with everyone else. That's a win win in all honesty, Yeah, it is so. In September of twenty fifteen, Candace would give birth to her daughter Page. Now tragically though, Paige was born with hydro cephalis, which is a condition that causes an abnormal buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in the
brain's ventricles. Now, this is something we've actually talked about a bit on the show before. I've heard this. Now this condition can lead to severe complications, including brain damage, development delays, and in some cases, can be life threatening at young ages. Now, understanding the challenges that her daughter faced, Candace dedicated herself to making every moment of Page's life
as joyful and as meaningful as possible. To Candace, each day with Page was special, as if she was celebrating her birthday every day.
Oh my gosh, could this lady be any more perfect?
Right? Could Candace get any more perfect? I don't think so.
Yeah, it doesn't seem. Wow, I'm amazed by her.
She's selfless, she wants to have a very fulfilling career. She is a genius, super kind.
Like dedicated, medicated, Like yeah, we could go on here, yeah.
Like I'm already put to shame like easy, no problem, She's just way better of a person all around. But now, Candace, though, her worst nightmare would become a reality as Page would pass away at the age of only seven years old.
Oh no, now, Page though, did actually outlive her mother, as Candace would ultimately meet her end before her daughter did.
Holy shit. Yes, okay, I wasn't expecting this, but either of these. We'll get to that soon though. For now, let's keep talking a little bit about who Candace.
Was like she would have been in her twenties.
Yes, ah. Candace also had an older brother named James. Now, James struggled with severe psychological issues. He had paranoia that was so intense that he isolated himself from society so much though, that he actually chose to live alone in a tent in the woods a few miles behind his parents.
Okay, I mean sometimes that sounds kind of nice to just like, fuck off, get a grid.
And blame me the fuck alone and I'm out. I can appreciate that. Through and through yea. His mental health challenges made it impossible, though, for him to hold a job, made it impossible for him to maintain friendships or even comfortably interact with his own family, but at the very least he was close to home, making it easy for his family to you know, somewhat kind of help care,
keep an eye on him. On him, yeah, well, not so much check up on him, but it was easy for him to come home if he needed some Okay, Yeah, Now things with James only went downhill though, as his condition worsened to the point where he no longer believed that Dolores, which was his real mother. He never believed that she was actually his real mother. He was suspecting that she had been replaced by an impostor. Oh wow, Yeah, so his condition was degrading.
Yeah, that's kind of sad.
So because of his fears, he avoided entering the family home unless it was completely empty, and to accommodate him, Dolores would leave a butter knife under a door mat where he could like unlock a door or something like that. I'm not too sure how he would gain access, but she left a butter knife so he could gain access to the house when people are away, so he could like come in and you know, maybe shower, grab some food or something whatever he needed.
Right, that would have to be quite tough for her.
It would be yeah. Yeah, I think it'd be tough for the whole family, and I think particularly for her being the fact that, you know, her own son doesn't believe that he's that she's really his mother. Yeah, that's got to be hard. Yeah. Now, through all of what was going on in Candace's life, she remained fiercely protective of James, her brother, despite his struggles, she loved him.
She stood by him, always ready to defend him again sorry, defend against those who might not understand his condition, being on his side, just like a family should. So now we know who Candace is, we know how she grew up, you know what's happening here in her life, a little bit about her family. So let's fast forward to August tenth, two thousand and six.
Does she just have the one sibling then, just the one brother?
No, She's got another brother, I believe. Yeah. So on this day, Robert daw, a deputy from Fremont County Sheriff's Office, came to the Hilts home and he knocked on their front door. It was an unexpected visit, but he was there to question James about some trespassing incidents in the area. There had been some recent reports of someone snooping around properties, and they suspected him of being the culprit. However, James
wasn't home, as he no longer technically lived there. He was living a few miles out in the bush behind the house and didn't know exactly where. It's like, well, good luck, right, Yeah, so he wasn't home. So Deputy DoD ended up speaking with Dolores, his mother, and Candace instead, who were both home now. The conversation quickly grew tense as neither Dolores nor Candace appreciated the fact that James was an immediate suspect without any proof pointing towards him.
It felt like the police were simply targeting him for who he was and what he was struggling with.
Yeah, and it was kind of like an easy target exactly.
So Candace in particular was extremely defensive of her, as I had already mentioned, and she immediately became angry with the way that Deputy DoD was approaching the situation and how he was acting towards specifically, even addressing Dolores when they were there. As a result, the whole situation began to escalate, and it did so to the point that Deputy DoD even threatened to arrest Candace if she didn't control her temper and calm the fuck down.
Oh wow, Yeah, this is escalating.
Which if there is one thing I've learned in marriage, it's never tell a woman to calm down in a situation like this because you well feel their wrath, which is exactly what happened in this case.
She well to be fair, to be fair, to be fair, I told you to calm the fuck down. I don't think it would go very well for me either.
I think I think it would go better for you than it would for me. I'm not saying this is a detriment or a bad thing, because in this case with Candace, like she was being a fucking badass. She didn't back down. He was like calmed down. She's like, fuck, excuse me. She doubles down. Okay, I'm not meaning it in a bad sense, don't get me wrong, because like with Candace, like I said, she doubled down, and she held out her wrists, and she fucking dared him to
arrest her. Yeah, do it? Do it? Yeah? Bad? Now? Not only this, no picture this, So she's holding out her wrists, she's daring him to arrest her, and she also adds that if he does, she's going to be talking to the rest of the police and be telling them about how she's seen him accepting suspicious envelopes from known drug dealers on the streets. Oh shit, So not only is she like daring him to do, she's now threatening him. She's got the back into it. Really. Yeah.
Now there is no evidence to back this claim though, but there is. But there was not an empty threat. Candace did claim she in fact has seen this happening, So she has a shady potentially what we may seem to have here. Yeah. So Deputy Dot at this point was was pissed and visibly shaken, like visibly pissed and angry by this whole confrontation. So he turned around and he left the house in a bit of a rage. Now the incident wasn't exactly the most pleasant, to say
the least, and also not the most professional. Now, not too long after this had all occurred, the Hilt's family dog went missing. Now they didn't think too much of it at the time, you know, they it might have been a tragic possibility of something occurring to the dog. Like they lived a little bit like you know, out in the woods, a bit kind of thing. I don't know how much property they had or how far out like dirt road, I'm not certain, but they did think, well,
it's a possibility, like a wild animal got the dog. Tragic, but like, there's no suspicious stuff going on the red flags, right except Candice was like, nah, something's fucking suspicious.
Okay, she doesn't like I kind of like her, Yeah, Like she just like doesn't just I don't know, most people just make ex right, but she's like, she just seems like she trusts her gut and she's like, Nope, something fucking happened to my dog exactly.
The timing to her was just like it's too coincidental. Yeah, right, And I think that's what I mean. It's easy to say in the position that we're in sitting here talking about it, but in the outsider perspective right now, yeah, it does seem fucking suspicious. Yeah it does.
But I honestly would I'm one of those people that would probably just like justify it to like be absolutely heartbroken, but probably justify it.
Now. Though I don't know the exact date that the dog went missing, but my judgment it was probably the next day after this occurred, Okay, Yeah, so if it's another day, it would be a maximum two days after. So it's either the next day or the day after. But yeah, so this is all after that whole incident, right the dog disappeared, and she's believing that this was an intentional act, possibly a message or a threat directly
from her to the family. Right now, because of this whole situation, the family was a bit on edge, Dolores, you know, listening to her daughter talking about, you know, like someone could have done this, it could be a threat.
She grew a little bit concerned about leaving Candace and her now eleven month old daughter Page at home alone in case something were to happen, you know, what if someone is threatening the family, right Yeah, So when she would go run errands, Dolores would ask a neighbor to keep an eye out on the house and check in
on Candace while she was away. Now, there are a couple conflicting accounts about what happened on the day of August fifteenth, two thousand and six, but according to the neighbor who asked who was asked to check on Candace when Dolores was out he went over to the Hilts home and couldn't find Candace anywhere inside. The only sign of life was Paige, who was crying in her crip. Now concerned, the neighbor picked up Page and took her to his house to soothe her until Dolores returned at
around three thirty pm. However, Dolores tells a bit of a different story, and this is the one that's most commonly talked about. So this is the one that I'm going to say is the proper account, Okay, but there are conflicting ones. Just want to point that out. So Dolores says, she arrived at home and she was met with a horrific scene. There was blood scattered throughout the home,
but no immediate sign of Candace. She panicked. She rushed into the bedroom, where she found Paige still crying hysterically in her crib. It was then that she noticed the green comforter that was normally nicely made up on Candace's bed. It wasn't there anymore. Instead, it was tucked underneath the bed. She knew something wasn't right, and Dolores slowly began pulling the blanket out from under the bed, and something was wrapped up inside, and that's when she made the gruesome discovery.
Candace's lifeless body was wrapped up in the blanket and stuffed under her own bed. What the shit? Yeah, she knew it was her daughter right away, but the problem was she couldn't recognize her by her face because she had been shot in the head so many times that authorities described her condition as quote severe decapitation. Whoah, holy shit.
So Candace knew something was up. What the fuck is this? Actually, Like the police that did this.
Well, we got a lot to talk about in regards to all that possibility.
Well, if it is, like I'm freaking pissed because like just because oh my gosh, this is just gonna make me go on a rampage because you're in a position of authority and someone like Heaven forbid, questions your authority and then you just lose your shit on them, Like that's not okay, I know, right, Like that's not okay.
It's just a little bit fucked up if you think about it, Yeah, a little bit. Yeah.
So I'm really hoping that's not what happened, because I'll be pissed. Well, well, i mean, I'm pissed either way, Candace was like a little gem in the world.
Yeah, you are gonna be pissed about what happens here next though, because you know, like when as I talked to the very beginning, there's steps to things that happened, right, and when a crime is discovered, what happens next?
Investigation, investigation, We don't give a fuck.
Well, the investigation did quickly begin and the case was assigned to two deputies, Deputy Fisker and Deputy Robert Dodd, the very same one who Candice had a confrontation with.
Not okay, is it like a small town and that's all they have or what?
Like, I you know, I never actually looked up the population of this place.
No, I mean, that's the only reason that he should be allowed on there.
I guess maybe, I don't know, it's hard to say, okay, but yeah, there was needless to say with this individual and the potential shadiness that we may suspect there was a considerable lack of proper police work that was taking place during this investigation.
Well, yeah, you can say that he probably wasn't the best at his job.
No, So, after this initial discovery of Candas's remains, the family was instructed to leave their house for the investigation so it could proceed. Now. When they were allowed to return back to home, they were shocked to find that the door of the house was just wide open. There's no sign of anything being taped off or any proper crime scene management, you know, no yellow police tape, no barriers, anything else like that, nothing to indicate that there was
an active crime scene at the home. This meant that anyone could have just entered the house, potentially contaminating or tamperate with any remains of evidence or the whole crime scene whatsoever. Right now. Even more troubling was the fact that the deputies appeared to have missed a significant and I want to highlight that word significant amount of clear evidence that was still scattered throughout the home. There were shotgun shells visible left laying on the floor near the fireplace,
and even one inside Page's crib. The bloody comforter that Candace body was wrapped up in, Yeah, that was left behind, just laying on the ground, along with bloody towels that seemed to have been handled by the attackers, potentially them wiping their hands off on and a blood soak shirt that Candace wearing at the time of her death, was also left at the scene. You don't say, yeah, this was all left body.
That literally just shows that they gave absolute zero shit.
Zero fucks given. Yeah. Wow, that is almost comical. Really, it's comical to the point of disbelief. If I'm being honest, Like, how the fuck, Like, I don't care how shitty of an investigator you are, wouldn't you just you know, at least like clean up the fucking bloody rags and shotgun shells and shit, Like what are you doing.
Mm hmm to just leave it there? Like, ah, that stuff has to be bagged up. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't make any sense.
Even if it's not I know that, even if it's not evidence, that's just Devil's advocate for a moment. I mean, it is evidence. But let's just pretend that these things that were left behind were not evidence. You still have to dispose of them. Yeah, you're like, okay, family, you can go back into the house where your daughter was murdered. By the way, here's the bloody blanket she was wrapped up in. Good luck washing it and maybe I don't know, sleeping with it tonight. Do what you want. With it.
I don't know, well, I don't the fuck.
I don't know though that they would like clean up the crime scene though.
Well, no, but there's there's certain things that you would you need to take. Well, yeah, you need to take those.
But like, I don't think they're they're worried about like cleaning up the scene whatsoever. It's just they need to be have taken the evidence though.
But there are people who clean up crime scene crime scene afterwards.
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you have to like hire them. I'm not certain, but.
I'm pretty sure a crime scene like I don't think that.
I think it's kind of up to the family to have to like go about getting someone to clean up after.
A bloody blanket left behind. From my previous knowledge, if there's a blood stain on the carpet, they're not like peeling up the carpet. Maybe they peeled up the carpet, there's still blood in the underlay or the hardwood. Sure I get that, but it's like, here's just the blanket laying there.
Well, that's not right because they should have taken for evidence.
But but and my my argument is at the very least throw it out. Yeah, if you're at least that shitty of a comp at least just fucking throw it out. That's my point.
You know, if you're not going to take it for evidence, chuck it in the garbage can exactly because you're.
Not putting any effort in. All you have to do is grab it on your way out the door. Anyways, we'd agress on that that was a bit of a roundabout. So the family was just probably more way more frustrated than us, but definitely frustrated as well by this whole clear mishandling of the case, and one of Candas's brothers, who was actually taking a forensic class at the time,
decided to take matters into his own hands. He, along with his mother, Dolores, put on rubbert gloves, meticulously collected every piece of evidence left behind by the deputies, going full fucking CSI. They bagged, photographed, labeled everything, and then took it all down to the Sheriff's office, expecting it to be properly handled from there.
Oh, I feel like they should have taken it somewhere else, like a private investigation.
Of sorts maybe, But when they arrived to the Sheriff's office, Dolores demanded to speak with deputies Fisker and Dowed and asked why this stuff was neglected left behind, like basically the fuck right?
Yeah, well now we know where Candace got her feistiness around it like this.
However, she was told that both deputies were too busy to speak with her, and she eventually spoke with a different deputy, and that deputy was just like, uh, yeah, go away, just take all that stuff and go away.
Oh my.
But not long after Deputy Fisker learned that she was stopped, she had stopped by and showed up at her home with a search warrant, demanding the remainder evidence that was earlier refused.
What the shit they were just willing to give it to them. Okay, this is some bullshit right here.
Yeah, it's a mess. It's just a big mess.
Yeah.
I would be losing my mind. Yeah, and I can understand why. Yeah. So by the like the whole evidence thing aside, Like any investigation, the next step would be to establish a suspect, right, which they did once again seemed fixated on Candace's brother, James. I knew that was coming like two seconds before. He said it an easy scapegoat, Hey, yeah, wow, Yeah, he was the prime suspect in Candace's murder.
Why don't they just make him the prime suspect in anything going on in that town?
Right? But like before, though, even despite lack of concrete evidence in this crime linking him, they're just like, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's him, but no evidence but him yep. Okay. So, Dolores tried desperately to convince the deputies that James couldn't
have been involved in Candas's death. She explained James had severe psychological issues and made it highly unlikely for him to commit such an act, especially considering his extreme adversion to even entering the home with anyone else being there.
He would not have entered if Candace was there. You did mention that, Yeah, however, her conversation her please her facts, however you want to put it, fell and deaf ears and the department issued a public statement declaring that a man hunt was underway for James Hilt, describing him as potentially dangerous and possibly armed with either a rifle or a twenty two caliber handgun. Hmmm, that's so sad. Keep this in mind, this has all happened on the same day.
This is still the same day Candice has been murdered. Jeeve, Yes, we're still on the same fucking clock. Oh no, The thing is, things are going so fast. The deputies quote unquote did their investigation, did not get all the evidence. Then the family collected it all, dropped it off the sheriff's office, were refused, went back home. Then they got a warrant to retrieve said evidence, which takes time, and then declared publicly that there is a man hunt out
there for James in the same day. So that shows how much effort is being put into this.
Yeah, I really really really don't like that. That's stressful and brutal.
So now there is an official search for James out there, being you know, a murder suspect, and investigators bank began sweeping the forested area where he was said to be living.
Okay, can I just say one thing here, I'm.
Pissed about something. What are you pissed? Could they not have just gone and.
Found try to find him first before they just like publicly announce all of this, well, cause that is kind of like if he because he probably didn't do it, and then they're just like throwing his name through the.
Mutt I agree. I agree one and I'm going to play devil's advocate on this one. Not that I agree with what they did. I'm on your side, but there is strategy to sometimes you know, publicly announcing it, whether it's public safety or whether it's you know, public being on the lookout for him. Because they didn't know where he lived. He could be wandering, so maybe they're like hoping that the public could help, you know, low hate him.
So there are reasons why they announce it. But I do think you have to have some pretty good evidence to be doing that well.
And like I feel like you kind of, you know, explore trying to find them first, for like maybe five minutes before you did something like this, but.
Maybe maybe they did for five minutes literally five minutes. But yeah, when they're out in this forested area, out in these woods looking for James, this is when they would come across another grizzly scene. Now James is dead. It wasn't James dog found. They found the family dog that had gone missing right after the altercation with Deputy DoD So. It was found in these woods, tied to a tree and butchered with what appeared to be a
hatchet or some sort of axe. The investigators, of course pin this on James, painting him as a deranged killer on the loose, But to the Hills family, it was all far too convenient, almost like someone had laid out a trail, like a trail of crumbs, you know, just a frame.
Wow, don't ever fuck with the dog like brutal.
Yeah, Nicole will fucking come for you. Oh yeah, yeah, I know. I you know.
The sad thing is like people are like, oh, it's just animals, it's just dogs. But I would like go to prison.
Ye are dogs? I will. I will say this to everyone out there, and this is one hundred percent not a joke. The person Nicole most relates to I've ever seen is John Wick. Oh my gosh, whatever tell me I'm wrong. Well, I don't really know.
If I've been having to put in that position though, but I would turn into a freaking psychotic motherfucker. Honestly if anyone ever like did anything to one of my animals, like, I don't even think I would give a shit what I ended.
Up doing, respectably, I got you, I would be right there with you. Trust me. Touch her for babies, You're going down I'm sorry you are. John Wick is released. Yeah, so back to the case, it would be the same day that Candice was murdered. Still the same day, on August fifteenth, that authorities would locate James camping in Iron Mountain, about ten miles from the family home. Still the same day.
Oh, that's like almost unbelievable. It doesn't seem real.
No, it doesn't. I'm assuming they most likely already knew where he was, like you know, about where his encampment was. But even still, like, how do you do all this in the same day. It's because you are cutting so many fucking corners.
Well, yeah, and it has to probably be like a slightly small town where no other nothing else ever happens or something I don't know.
Still even still, so, he was found with no firearms, as per the previous public statement suggested he would be, and he was swiftly arrested and charged with first and second degree burglary, criminal trespassing, theft, criminal mischief as well. Deputies claimed that he had broken into another home and stolen some items like flashlights and hatchets. Notably, though, despite their earlier mentions as James being the prime suspect, he
wasn't charged in connection with Candace's murder. He was not arrested for that.
Well, did they find and he's stolen goods at his little campsite.
Here as far as I can tell, that like a flashlights or something like a couple of little things that could have been stolen. Yes, okay, regardless whatever they did charge him with, though all of them would later be dropped on the grounds of insanity and he was sentenced to a Colorado mental health institute.
Huh yeah, but I mean, someone like trespassing doesn't just necessarily mean that they're going to be like such a monster that they're also going to kill their family dog and sister.
Right, That's why it seems like the dog being there was that the trail of breadcrumb, you know, Oh, we already suspect him, and on our search, what do we find the butchered family dog. Sure it must have been him, that, you know, super convenient. Yeah. Now, despite all this, the
harassment didn't end for James. Every time he was released from the institution and returned to visit his family, deputies from the Sheriff's Department would intervene, openly opposing his release and reiterating that he remained a suspect in his sister's murderer with no evidence. Though, Like, leave the poor guy alone.
If this is actually the share for whatever the fuck his name is that did this, God, yeah.
Dot Dodd Dodd DoD d Deputy DoD Dodd. He's a you should call him deputy dud. He is a bit of a dud. But now onto Candice's autopsy. Now. The report was extensive. It spanned eleven pages and revealed the brutal nature of her death.
Okay, so someone was doing their dark job.
Yes, someone was. She was shot a total of seven times. Six of the shots were to her head and one hitting her in the chest. The report indicated that three different firearms were used in the attack. Oh, a shotgun, a medium caliber rifle, and a or sorry gun I should say firearm because I don't know if it's a rifle for sure, a medium caliber firearm, and a small caliber firearm. So Candice was shot both from the front
and from the back. She was also and she also sorry, had between eight and ten twenty two caliber gunshot wounds on her side. Wow, it's okay.
It seems unfathomable to me to be shooting towards someone's head, Like, what does that mean?
Well, I want you to think about the situation for a second, because from different types of firearms or guns being used alone should be a bit of a red flag. But if that's not enough for you, the blood spatter analysis suggested that at least two, possibly three individuals were involved in her shooting. Yeah, which throws even the smallest
notion of James being responsible out the fucking window. Yeah, because you have three firearms being used, her being shot from the front and the back, and blood bladder report showing potentially up to three different directions it was shown from Okay, and to put the cherry on top the towels found where the perpetrator, you know, like wipe their
hand off. That eventually did. They were tested for DNA and the results showed that the presence of an unknown male DNA was present that did not match any of Candace's family members, including James.
Okay, and this has I feel like this has to kind of be targeted too, because they didn't they didn't do anything to little Page.
Yeah, they didn't. Yeah, just her. Yeah, The combination of multiple firearms, the involvement of more than one person. In the presence of the unknown male's DNA and straight up lack of any possible evidence should have shifted the investigation away from James. However, the authorities continued to view him as the primary suspect. Of course, Frustrated by the lack of process a progress, and convinced that some fuckery was
taking place, Dolores took matters into her own hands. Like the badass she is, she filed a formal complaint against the Fremont County Sheriff's Department, with Attorney General even suggesting that one of the deputies might be a crooked cop who could be involved in her daughter's murder. I wonder who that could be. Despite her efforts, though, Candas's case went cold, with little to no investigation or new leads for the next decade.
Oh my gosh, you're kidding me.
The next decade, which means that all changed on December seventeenth, in twenty sixteen. Okay, do you ever see that show Storage Wars? Uh?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Actually.
Tell me about it? What is Storage Wars? What happens? Sorry?
Rip?
Isn't that the one? Okay?
I hopefully am not getting mixed up, but is that where people like go into storage containers or whatever or.
Like storage lockers orge units and.
That have been abandoned, and then they get to go in there and like rubbage through and like auction things off and shit.
Yes, usually they don't get to go into the locker.
Oh right there, they bid on the whole locker itself.
You get like a one or two minute look inside from the outside. I actually thought that show was fascinating. I'm pretty sure that show is one hundred percent staged. Pretty sure. I'm not doubting that there are many people out there who do that like it is a real thing, and I'm sure that many of the people on that show do that for real. But I'm pretty sure that show in itself is staged. But in this situation, on December seventeenth, twenty sixteen, that's exactly what we're looking at.
A facility in Dawson, Ranch was conducting auctions for units whose owners had either fallen behind the payments or abandoned them. Among these attending the auction was a man by the name of Rick Ratsloff, who was a former streetcar racer known for his run ins with law enforcement. Now, during this auction, of course, as mentioned Betters, it'll take a bit of a look inside, right without going in and rubbishing around, so you kind of like it's like opening
the door. You don't don't get step in, you're just peeking outside. And Rick had a bit of an eye for, you know, being a bit of a racer, knowing a bit of about motor cars and motorsports, right yep. So in one particular unit, Rick saw something that appeared to be a motorcycle light inside. He decided it might be an interesting locker for him, and so he decided to bid on it, and he actually won the unit for fifty bucks.
Oh wow, the units for like that kind of Oh man, I would do that.
That's kind of cool. Yeah. So what Rick found inside, though, was far more than he anticipated. As it began sorting through all the contents, he discovered a disturbing collection of items envelopes labeled as evidence boxes containing shell casings, bloody clothing, a bloody rope, blood stained socks, and even a bloody chrome acts. These were clearly items that should be secured in police custody, not left in a storage unit.
Who's fucking storage unit is this, dude?
We'll get to that of course we will. The discovery didn't end there. Rick also found Fremont County Sheriff Department gear, including uniforms, sirens, and lights from their vehicles. Rick immediately contacted the sheriff department and spoke directly with the head sheriff, Jim Baker. However, the response he received was far from reassuring.
Instead of hearing some concern from Sheriff Baker about oh, you found what, like, oh, that's not good, let's talk us out, figure it out right, Rick was in fact given a stern warning that because of what he just found, his life could be in danger. What the shit? Yeah, And things took an even more suspicious turn when Deputy Robert Dodd, the very same deputy involved from the very beginning, reached out to Rick about the storage unit. Turns out the locker belonged to him.
Oh man, oh man, my fucking blood is boiling.
Yeah, Now, I can't blame you on that one.
So the whole freaking police station is just corrupt. How the fuck do you phone that in? And they just don't give.
A shit, right wow. So Dodd didn't acknowledge the evidence inside the locker, but instead tried to downplay it all, saying it was just filled with childhood memories and other personal items, and he actually offered to buy it back from Rick, to which Rick refused. As Rick held his ground, both Deputy DoD and the Sheriff's office began harassing him despite the threats, though Rick eventually he did cave a bit here and he allowed Sheriff Baker to examine the
evidence that he had actually found. But given the previous threats and harassment, Rick and his wife secretly recorded the interaction with with with with them in this in the situation. That's smart, Yeah, just just in case something went bad now, as I haven't seen anything of this recording, not that I've been aware of. But it's not like anything did
go to sour as far as I can see. But Sheriff Baker claimed that after reviewing the items, he handed all the evidence over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, stating that he had taken photos of everything before doing so as well. He also maintained that Deputy DoD had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. So it seems like things are actually going a little bit good here, Okay, So who turned it in. Sorry,
Sheriff Baker. Okay, Yeah, so the sheriff is like, okay, let's actually look at this, let's take it, and he said that he turned it in to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Yeah. Sorry, my brain just shut off from five seconds.
No, it's all good, it's all good. As the investigation progressed, it was confirmed, and I want to highlight that word confirm that the rope and axe found in the locker were used to kill the family dog. Confirmed. Additionally, the bloody socks were identified to belong to Candace and they were the very ones that she was wearing on the day of her murder.
This nasty, nasty man.
Yeah.
I fucking hate cases where it's like they're an authority and they're doing.
Stuff like it's it's like the fucking worst in all honesty, Like why are you in thatsit? Why are you doing that? You got some sort of fucking complex.
Clearly, you wonder if they were always like that or if it's just that it's gone to their head a bit.
You know, I don't know, I really don't think seriously. Yeah. Now, in February of twenty seventeen, Deputy Fisker, who was also involved in the investigation. He was the other deputy alongside Dodd. He was also placed on a ministrative leave, but not for his role in the investigation. Oh, just to show exactly what kind of people these deputies are. I wanted to ensure I mention this.
So.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation had uncovered that Deputy Fisker had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl while serving as a drug abuse resistance officer back in nineteen ninety nine. Though facts of it occurring were found, the woman involved decided not to press charges against him, leading to him being reinstated into his position at the sheriff's department, where he continues to work.
Okay, I don't even know what to say, Like, I am just like pissed. Oh my gosh, this is like what is that? It's like the Old what are they kind of the nickname like the Old Boys Club or whatever when it was we've done cases for that, and it's like sheriff departments and like, and they're just all terrible people.
I have no idea what I don't know. I don't know. Douche Canoes, that's my best guess I don't know. It's a gaggle of douche canoes.
Yeah, this is so disgusting, really shit, Okay.
Now, Meanwhile, on April twenty third, twenty seventeen, did deputy you know he's not fucking Robert Dodd. We're just gonna call him Dodd. Dodd opted to retire, relocating to Texas. However, less than a month later, on May fourth, he was charged with two counts of second degree misconduct and abuse of public records. These charges stem from not only the evidence discovered in the storage locker, but also from the case from a case or another case in which he
altered public records without proper authorization. Also, on May seventeenth, twenty seventeen, more incriminating evidence related to Dodd's surface at the Phantom Landfill in Penrose, when an employee at landfill discovered some concerning material from Dodd's private residence.
They need to check his DNA, just putting that out there.
Yeah. So, due to safety proto calls, the landfill is required to inspect all incoming dumpsters, and in doing so they discovered a large envelope containing criminal investigation paperwork from him. They also discovered a video related to a sexual offense investigation, a computer, a DVD, and a videotape linked to sexual assault cases, as well as a box labeled FCSO Crime Scene Unit Forensic Lights.
Okay, and this guy just gives zero shits where he just like just like throws us in the garbage and doesn't even try.
To dispose of it like in a proper manner to hide. Yeah, thing like he just doesn't care. I don't know if he doesn't care. I think he's just that dumb. He's like, yeah, I'll just throw it out, no one will fuckings like, you know, I think he thinks he's invincible. Yeah, potentially. I think a lot of these these corrupt type officers are. Yeah, which is funny because I think it's the complete opposite.
You get like a good comp they know their their mortality, but they're risking it for the fucking and they're out there in the front lines doing what they need to do, risking their mortality for the better. Where you have these assholes like I'm fucking invincible, fuck you, you can't touch me and just lought it. I'm a douchebag, I know.
And then it's people like this too that gives the force and stuff bad names at times.
Right now, honestly, there is far too much information regarding this dirt bag and things that were uncovered about him, minuscule things well I don't mean miniscule things, but like little pieces of evidence all piling up in a bunch of things. Right, and it's clear that Candice was right. He was doing some fucking shady shit. So deputy Nope, not deputy just Dodd. Dodd was charged with two accounts of second degree official misconduct and abuse of public records. However,
he did not serve jail time for these charges. He eventually accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to the charges of official misconduct, and it's part of the plea agreement he received a deferred sentence, meaning that as long as he complied with the terms of the agreement, such as probation, the charges would not result in criminal conviction on his record. Cool. Yeah, It basically allowed him to avoid being a criminal on paper and no jail time.
There are some theories out there that range in the case for Candace is that it is that it.
Can I finish my God, Okay, sorry, I'm like still expecting that okay, never mind.
Sorry. There are some theories out there that range in the you know, in the aspect of Candace's case, from her brother James being the murderer, to a burglary gone wrong, or even Page's father coming back and being the one responsible, but none of them have any evidence to back any of the speculation. The only one that has any semblance of weight is the theory of Dodd. He didn't do the killings by himself. In my opinion, he probably used
ties to local gang organizations. As it was Candace had witnessed him being paid off, right, I feel he either paid them or maybe had a favor by them, And because of him doing so much evidence, because of all this evidence storage in his locker, I do believe he was physically involved in the killing of the family dog for sure, but perhaps maybe even Candace himself most.
Likely, and probably all the other evidence, like the cases of evidence that he was holding.
Yeah. Unfortunately, to this day, Candace's story is still unsolved and will most likely never be solved. That is the story of Candace Hilt Hilts. Sorry, I'm like, is that it is that it? And that is it? That is it. It's been a while since I threw a mystery one at you, So I threw a mystery one at you without even telling you.
I know, I can tell I am because that is some bullshit. But also it's like, what if he didn't do this, you know who did? Yeah, and they need to like test his blood because if what if it matched whatever was on that towel or whatever that was, you know, someone wiped their hands and shit.
Could be him, It could be, but there was at least there was potentially three perpetrators. Yeah, so you have a thirty three percent chance that it was him, a sixty six percent chance that was another one else, another person, assuming it was in fact a perpetrator's DNA. There is a chance that it was maybe a visitor that stopped by or who knows, or maybe it was a second hand towel or I don't know.
Yeah, this poor family though, hey, like they lose the father and now they they lose Candace to like horrific crime, like horrific really.
Then six years later and the page.
And then also the brother is like you know struggling to Oh, that's that's just that's too much for one family.
I feel like too much. That's not fair. But I want to go back to you saying, what if it's not him? If that's okay? Yeah, So everyone we've all heard follow the evidence, right, What does the evidence tell us in this case that is him? Sorry? Okay, I'm sorry, Okay, what does the evidence say? I don't even know. He has every not every right, but every reason to be attached to that crime scene because he was the investigator, right, that towel could have contained his DNA because he investigated it.
So even if they test it, all I was of course I was there. I handled it probably, you know.
Right, and he was all like also to going back, he was the one that had, like, you know, an issue there, there was an issue.
Yeah. So the thing that tells me it was him is the fact that they tied the dog to his storage locker. They have the bloody axe and bloody rope from the fucking dog in his locker because they never found the hatchet when they found the dog, but yet he has it in his storage locker. Oh shit, Yeah, which means he is tied to this case somehow.
Because why would he do that to the dog? And then and I feel like it just yeah, it goes hand in hand whoever did that to the dog also did that to Candace.
Yeah, definitely. I mean it's not one hundred percent, but you're at least on the trail. They're at least involved somehow.
Well, yeah, it just makes sense. He's the one that got in an argument with her. You know, Candace had a bad feeling about him. Yeah, he has. He killed the dog clearly, and then the next day or whatever.
Yes, Also she's gone like, yeah, so assuming any any shady he's a shady police officer, exactly so, assuming any of the Candace crime scene evidence cannot be used against him, anything that was found in the stores lock, or anything that lies on his DNA being there, assume it's none of It's good. The dog is the fucking key here. Why did he have the murder weapon for the dog? Yeah? That tells me everything.
It's too bad they can't Well maybe they are right, but like, open this up again and do a deep dive. They could, because they might be they might be surprised. They could find something.
I think they could. I honestly think they could. Yeah.
But then also, I mean, this is so disgusting to think or even say, but there there could be people that you know, they don't want to because they don't want to find that it was a corrupt police officer.
Right, that's true. Well, like because the sheriff, for example, he's like, you're you're in danger, right because what you just found. What if the sheriff was like he didn't have a choice, Like what if these individuals that Dodd was involved with were manipulating the police office force? But if they were being threatened because he did do the right thing and he did handle that evidence to pass
it off to the right people. He did take Dodd off the force, he did get this criminal investigation going on him. He did all those things, but he was just like, dude, you you're in trouble.
Yeah, Like he didn't want to have to do this.
It's a can of worms. That's almost like it's better off being left alone. So I don't know what situation they're in, but hm.
What a shitty case to not be like solved.
Yeah. Wow. Anyways, hopefully you guys enjoyed that one. Hopefully you're going to be coming back for the next one. Hopefully I can to see you on the Patreon live in a couple of days. Ben didn't piss you off too much. There's a good chance I did, and I'm sorry for that. But you can always give us a rating and let us know your feelings. You can give us a comment and message us, shoot us an email. Find all our links in the description now below. We
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Come next time. Until next time, stay wicked.