A Colorado Springs student who shot his roommate and woman in a campus dorm room had previously threatened to kill him for not taking out the trash – weeks before the heinous crime.
Nicholas Jordan, 25, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, felony menacing and committing a crime of violence in the February 16 murder of his roommate, Samuel Knopp, 24, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26.
Knopp, a talented musician, lived in the campus dormitory Crestone House at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs with Jordan.
A month before the double homicide, Jordan threatened Knopp telling him that he would ‘kill him,’ if he was asked to take out the trash again,’ according to court documents that were released on Friday.
A report was filed with campus police and housing officials about multiple conflicts the pair had, including the latest threat, but there was no indication that university officials made any attempt to remove the suspect from the room, as per court documents.
Knopp had complained about his new, randomly selected roommate and was set to move out the day he died.
Public Defenders William Patrick and Nick Rogers (pictured l-r) are representing suspect Nicholas Jordan, 25, in El Paso County 4th Judicial Court, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jordan was arrested on February 19, three days after the deadly shooting
Sam Knopp, 24, was a senior studying music, had complained about his new, randomly selected roommate Nicholas Jordan and was set to move out the day he died
Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, a victim of the double homicide, was not a student at the university
Chris Valentine, a spokesperson for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, said due to the ongoing investigation and federal student privacy laws, the university could not ‘provide any additional information about the people involved in this incident.’
The new details about the shooting and the threat were included in an arrest affidavit that was unsealed by a judge after charges against Jordan were announced during a court hearing Friday at El Paso County 4th Judicial Court.
Jordan’s lawyer, Nick Rogers, objected to the document’s released, in part because he said his client – a junior studying accounting – would continue to be ‘prosecuted in the media.’
Rogers did not address the allegations against Jordan during the hearing and tried unsuccessfully to have his client released from jail without paying any bail.
In addition to the trash incident, a third roommate who lived with Knopp and the suspect, told investigators that he and Knopp both made multiple complaints about Jordan´s ‘living area cleanliness,’ and his marijuana and cigarette smoking, the document said.
Jordan filed a request to withdraw from the university about 14 hours before the fatal shootings. His dorm room was empty when police arrived, court records said.
An electronic access number assigned to Jordan was used twice to enter the dorm building on Februrary 16, once just before 4 am. and a second time at 5.42 am.
A few minutes before 6 am, a surveillance camera captured somebody running out of the dorm building, the arrest affidavit said.
The warrant for Jordan’s arrest was issued on the first day of the investigation, but he was not publicly identified as a suspect until his arrest Monday in a residential area of Colorado Springs, about three miles from campus.
Friday’s court appearance was Jordan’s first appearance in El Paso County 4th Judicial Court
A former teacher described Knopp as ‘very outgoing, dynamic, present and very noticeable young guy who just seemed like he was going to have a terrific career in music’
The Crestone House dormitory is where the February 16 shooting took place
In addition to a gun that prosecutors said was found in Jordan’s car, authorities recently learned that he also had a fully loaded AK-47, Robert Willett of the 4th Judicial District Attorney´s Office told Judge David Shakes.
Jordan had a temporary job and appeared to have all his belongings in his car when he was arrested, Willett said, arguing Jordan was a flight risk.
According to police, the other roommate reported the shots early on February 16, leading to the discovery of the bodies of Knopp and Montgomery in Crestone House, a dorm in a complex that offers apartment-style living for students.
Knopp ‘was a senior studying music and a beloved member of the Visual and Performing Arts department.
He was an accomplished guitar player and an extremely talented musician,’ University Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said in a statement on Sunday.
Montgomery was not a student at the university.
