Erie crash murder charges have been filed against a Colorado man accused of deliberately ramming his ex-girlfriend’s car before dragging her from the vehicle and killing her, with her family alerted to the scene by an iPhone crash notification rather than a call from emergency services.
Justin De Nileon Jr., 29, was booked into Weld County Jail on 25 June 2026 at 11:30 a.m., on a charge of murder in the first degree under Colorado’s criminal code, according to Weld County Sheriff’s Office booking records. He faces an additional count of second-degree kidnapping, according to the Longmont Times-Call, citing court records and a sworn arrest affidavit.
The victim, Haley Rippetoe, 28, was found dead in a roadside ditch near the intersection of Weld County Road 7 and Weld County Road 6 in Erie. Erie police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:15 a.m. on 21 June, according to 9News.
How the Erie Crash Murder Charges Emerged: Evidence at the Scene
Prosecutors allege De Nileon followed Rippetoe after she left work and struck her Nissan Rogue in what Denver7 describes as a head-on collision. The impact caused her vehicle to roll off the roadway.
The arrest affidavit, obtained by Law and Crime, sets out why investigators concluded the incident was no accident. ‘There were signs of post-crash damage … which were suspicious in nature, to include what looked like intentional damage to the driver’s window and the cutting of the seatbelt,’ it states. The seatbelt had been ‘cut cleanly with a sharp object’ at the point where it attached to the car, with additional attempted cut marks above the clean cut, consistent with multiple attempts to sever it.
The driver’s side window bore a large break and an ‘oblong hole’ centred in its upper right portion, which investigators determined was consistent with someone ‘possibly punching the window, attempting to break it to gain access into the vehicle.’
A medical examiner found ‘multiple sharp force injuries to Haley’s torso, neck and head appearing to have been caused by a sharp instrument.’ The affidavit states plainly: ‘None of the injuries were consistent with a vehicle crash but were more consistent with intentional, deliberate injuries inflicted by another person.’
Surveillance footage captured De Nileon leaving the scene in a white SUV. Phone records show he called his parents shortly afterwards, sounding panicked, according to the affidavit. Officers later found him at his parents’ home, ‘concealing himself under a tent, having a large amount of suspected blood on his clothing and cuts and abrasions on his hands.’ The affidavit notes that ‘the amount of suspected blood on Justin’s clothing was not consistent with his minor injuries.’
Prior Arrest and the Protection Order That Remained in Place
The killing did not occur without prior warning signs reaching the courts. In May 2026, De Nileon had been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping Rippetoe and their 3-year-old son, a case that was still pending at the time of the 21 June incident, according to Colorado Hometown Weekly.
Following that arrest, De Nileon was released after posting a $5,000 cash bond. Rippetoe’s family has said a protection order was the only legal measure in place to prevent him from contacting her at the time of her death.
Family members told investigators that De Nileon had been ’emotionally and physically abusive’ throughout the relationship. Rippetoe’s sister, who had previously lived with the couple, told investigators she had overheard De Nileon shoving Rippetoe on multiple occasions. The affidavit also records that family members recalled an earlier incident in which De Nileon allegedly attempted to ‘run her off the road.’
Rippetoe’s brother and sister received automatic iPhone crash notifications on the night of 21 June and drove to the area to find her. Her father, Ryan Rippetoe, received the same alert independently. When police called Ryan to inform him of his daughter’s death, ‘Ryan immediately suggested the crash was not an accident and Haley’s ex-boyfriend, later identified as Justin De Nileon Jr., was somehow involved,’ the affidavit records. Officers noted he was ‘extremely emotional at the time and did not clarify what he meant.’
Subject to any challenge at a preliminary hearing, De Nileon’s first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment under Colorado law. The pending May kidnapping case is expected to be addressed alongside the murder proceedings.
