Jefferson County investigators say stabbing of Colorado park ranger an "elaborate hoax"

Colorado authorities have spent the last two days trying to piece together what happened after a park ranger was stabbed on Tuesday. Now, law enforcement has determined that the stabbing was a hoax.

A warrant arrest affidavit obtained by CBS Colorado said volunteer seasonal park ranger Callum Heskett, 26, was reportedly near the Old Mill Trail in the Staunton State Park around 9:30 a.m. when he radioed for help. A CPW employee reportedly heard Heskett saying "get back" and "he's fighting me" over the state park radio system.

A Jefferson County deputy responding to the area heard Heskett state over the JCSO radio channel that he had been stabbed and was on the side of the road. The deputy directed him to call 911 so dispatchers could record his phone's coordinates. The deputy said he found Heskett kneeling in a grassy area south of the service road, holding a pocket knife that had impaled him in his lower left abdomen.

Heskett told the deputy an unknown man was hunched over near a tree when he approached in his Jeep. He said that when he went to check on the man, his attacker said "F--- the police" and charged at him. They reportedly fought on the ground before the man took Heskett's pocket knife and stabbed him with it. Heskett told the deputy he pepper sprayed the man, who then ran away.

He was airlifted to Saint Anthony's Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.

Park staff closed the park, and multiple law enforcement agencies launched a manhunt for the suspect, which was called off later Tuesday night.

Authorities said that when an investigator spoke to Heskett in the hospital, he gave them a description of his alleged attacker, but said he wasn't sure if he would be able to identify him. While interviewing Heskett, the investigator reportedly heard him tell medical staff he was on medication for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after he was run over while serving as an officer with the Lafayette Police Department.

Initially, authorities reported that the stabbing was a targeted attack and asked the public for help in locating the suspect. Although two potential suspects were interviewed, they did not match the description Heskett provided and were released. Despite a thorough search of the park, authorities didn't find anyone who matched the description.

Officials provided an update Thursday, stating the stabbing was "found to be an elaborate hoax."

According to the sheriff's office, when the responding deputy reviewed their body camera footage, they noted that the back of Heskett's uniform was free of dirt and grass. Although Heskett told authorities the suspect struck him on the back of the head, there was no head wound visible in the footage.

The footage also showed Heskett texting on his cell phone with one hand while holding the knife with the other, and taking footage with his cell phone. He reportedly shared videos depicting the knife wound and parts of the helicopter ride with other CPW staff and his parents. The affidavit says Heskett also took a video of his injury before law enforcement arrived at the scene of the stabbing and told investigators he believed the video would be helpful.

After he was asked for a DNA sample, he told investigators that the suspect was wearing a single black latex glove. The affidavit said Heskett thought the painkillers he was given were the reason he didn't recall that sooner.

Authorities received written consent and searched Heskett's iPhone, where they found numerous search history results, including "how deep are arteries in lower abdomen," "arteries in abdomen map," and "abdominal anatomy." 

Heskett was arrested and is facing multiple charges, including attempt to influence a public servant, tampering with physical evidence, false reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct.