Last Sunday began a most unusual homicide investigation that now involves several law enforcement agencies.

The body of 25 year-old Jake Colvin was found in a state of full rigor mortis in the passenger seat of an SUV that had been driven from Spokane, Washington to the Emergency Room entrance of St. Patrick Hospital by 34 year-old Leo Rodriquez. Colvin had been shot to death. Rodriguez was taken into custody after attempting to hide a .380 handgun inside the hospital rest room garbage can. He is now in jail on $100,000 bond.

Missoula Police Department Public Information Officer Travis Welsh outlined the agencies working on the investigation.

"At this point, and I say that because we just don't know how this investigation will evolve, because the body was discovered in the city of Missoula, the police department is the lead agency in the case," said Welsh. "The sheriff's department has jurisdiction over the body as the office of the Coroner, and they're conducting that part of the investigation."

Both Colvin's body and the SUV he was transported in were taken to the State Crime Lab in Missoula, where an autopsy was conducted, however, no results have yet been made public."

"We have asked the City of Spokane Police Department to assist because we know that there are some connections to their city with this chain of events ," Welsh said. "So, there are our three agencies acting collaboratively trying to determine what happened, where it happened, when it happened and most importantly, why it happened and who's responsible."

Because the incident began in Missoula, the Missoula Police Department has the lead in the investigation.

Public Information Officer with the Missoula Sheriff's Office, Brenda Bassett, said her office hopes to have more information on the case by Monday.

 

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