Colorado Corrections officials admit "unacceptable" mistake, say Clear Creek County chase suspect should have been flagged for violating his parole
The Colorado Department of Corrections says a series of mistakes delayed a parole hold and revocation hearing for a man later suspected in Tuesday's chase involving law enforcement and head-on crash, which resulted in the death of an innocent person. The double fatal crash happened on Highway 6 in Clear Creek County.
Steven Ainsworth, 51, died when his car got knocked into Clear Creek by the car Christopher Moore, 29, was driving. Both men died and a woman in the car with Moore was hurt.
CDOC officials now say Moore, who had a lengthy criminal record, should have been behind bars. Most recently, in 2022, he was sentenced to prison in criminal cases from Summit County and Eagle County. On June 9, he was released on parole. Four days later, Arapahoe County deputies arrested him again for motor vehicle theft. That new arrest was a violation of his parole, which should have started his parole hold according to the CDOC, but that didn't happen. According to a CDOC spokesperson, "the required official notification, which allows the Department to review the case and initiate a parole hold, did not occur through the proper channels. As a result, a parole hold was never placed."
CBS News Colorado has reached out to the arresting agency, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, as well as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to learn more about that notification system NCIC and CCIC.
Instead of being placed on a parole hold, Moore made bail and was released.
After posting bail, CDOC says Moore told his parole officer about the arrest, but that officer did not issue a summons for a revocation hearing. The CDOC told CBS Colorado "department policy requires that the parole revocation process be initiated promptly. In this case, that did not happen. The process was not formally initiated until October 10th." That's a four-month delay.
The department called the mistake "unacceptable and a failure." They said they have launched an internal review of the situation "to determine the cause of this delay and hold the appropriate parties accountable."
Deputies say in the last few days he was wanted for more than 30 vehicle break-ins and accused of stealing a gun and ammunition.
On Thursday morning, Clear Creek County Sheriff Matthew Harris and Idaho Springs Police Chief Nathan Buseck defended the chase by law enforcement, saying Moore was dangerous and they had to act. Harris also expressed dismay that Moore was not in prison.
"This is a failed judicial system where somebody with a criminal rap sheet like this (is) on parole and not have his parole revoked. I mean, it's frustrating in this business to continue arresting people day in and day out. Jail is a revolving door. We can't incarcerate our way out of this problem, but there are small members of our community that will not comport to social standards," Harris said.
The following is the the official statement from the Colorado Department of Corrections "regarding the parole supervision of Christopher Moore":
The Colorado Department of Corrections is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Steven Ainsworth, an innocent driver who lost his life in the crash in Clear Creek County. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.
The suspect, Christopher Moore, was on parole with our department. Our department was aware that he was allegedly involved in a new criminal offense on June 13, 2025.
Department policy requires that the parole revocation process be initiated promptly. In this case, that did not happen. The process was not formally initiated until October 10, 2025. This four-month delay is unacceptable and a failure to follow our policy.
Because of this, the Department has launched an immediate and thorough internal review to determine the cause of this delay and hold the appropriate parties accountable. We are committed to ensuring our policies are effectively implemented to protect public safety.
