Colorado man found guilty of manslaughter after killing roommate in Breckenridge, went on run for 9 months

A Colorado jury found a man guilty of manslaughter after killing his roommate in Breckenridge back in 2019.

Miles Tovar killed Brendan Rye on Nov. 6, 2019, and was convicted of manslaughter by a jury on March 8. He was also convicted of criminal trespass.

Rye was unsuccessful when he attempted to defend himself from Tovar by shooting him in the thigh with a handgun as he was being choked, according to Breckenridge Chief of Police Jim Baird. 

Tovar then went on the run for nine months which led to a warrant being out for his arrest on Feb. 3 for manslaughter, first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal trespass and harassment. 

Breckenridge police reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) for help locating and apprehending Tovar. COVOTF adopted the case 6 days later on Feb. 9 and began aggressively pursuing leads on Tovar's whereabouts in Colorado, Florida, California, Maine, and New York.   

Investigators said that Tovar had been making significant efforts to avoid apprehension and conceal his whereabouts to authorities.

Deputy US Marshals in the Bridgeport, Connecticut office received a call from a male who told them he was with Tovar and that Tovar had told him he was wanted by the U.S. Marshals and wanted to turn himself in. Deputies arranged to meet the man claiming to be Tovar at the Brien McMahon Federal Building in Bridgeport. 

Once there, deputies confirmed his identity and took him into custody where he was turned over to the Bridgeport Police Department to await his court appearance on the Summit County arrest warrant.    

Baird issued a statement after the conviction saying:

I would like to thank the Fifth Judicial District Attorney, Heidi McCollum and her team for their tireless efforts to provide justice for Mr. Rye, as well as his family and friends who have patiently waited over four years for this resolution. In particular, Assistant District Attorney Joe Kirwin and Deputy District Attorney Ryan Kornegay successfully prosecuted this complex case. I'd also like to thank the jurors for their focus, attention, and dedication during this important process. I am very proud of the Breckenridge PD team. The thorough investigation completed by Detective Jen Johnson, former Detective Brian McKenna, Assistant Chief Deric Gress and many others was instrumental in the successful outcome of this case.