Colorado Springs, CO – A man accused of killing another driver in a road rage incident has a disturbing history, having been investigated in two separate murder cases, including the infamous 2017 Delphi, Indiana double homicide of two teenage girls.
Fatal Road Rage Incident Turns Deadly
The Colorado Springs Police Department announced the arrest of 39-year-old Daniel Nations in connection with the death of 35-year-old Jacob Martinez. Police say the incident occurred on July 24 when Nations allegedly ran over Martinez following a heated road dispute.
Officers responded to calls around 11:25 a.m. reporting that a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle, which then fled the scene. Nations was identified as the driver, and Martinez was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Initially charged with first-degree assault, Nations’ charges were upgraded to first-degree murder after Martinez died from his injuries on July 27.
Past Connection to Colorado Homicide
This is not the first time Nations’ name has surfaced in a murder investigation. According to CBS affiliate KCNC, Nations was questioned after the 2017 killing of Timothy Watkins, a 60-year-old cyclist whose body was found in a shallow grave near a popular biking trail.
Although Watkins’ death was ruled a homicide, Nations was never charged. Around the same time, he pleaded guilty to threatening two hikers with a hatchet in the same area, earning the nickname “Hatchet Man.” He served a short jail term and three years of probation for menacing and weapons charges. Watkins’ murder remains unsolved.
Ties to the Delphi Murders Investigation
Nations also came under scrutiny during the high-profile investigation into the February 2017 murders of 13-year-old Liberty German and 14-year-old Abby Williams in Delphi, Indiana. Authorities noted that Nations lived in Delphi at the time and resided not far from where the girls’ bodies were found.
While police initially considered him a possible suspect, Nations was later cleared of any involvement in the Delphi case, which remains unsolved. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KCNC that the man arrested for the Colorado road rage case is the same Daniel Nations investigated in both earlier homicide probes.
Current Legal Status
Nations is now facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with Martinez’s death. He is being held without bail at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center, with his next court appearance scheduled for October 8.
Do you think earlier investigations should have led to harsher monitoring of Daniel Nations? Share your thoughts in the comments.
