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Colorado Sheriff's Dept. Launches Internal Investigation Into Murder Linked To Bloomington Man

Last updated on Monday, April 13, 2015

(DENVER) - The Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado has launched an internal investigation after a special investigator says there is new evidence in the shooting death of the wife of a correctional officer.

Evans, Colorado Police Chief Rick Brandt hired a former FBI investigator to look into his department's handling of the case to see if new training was needed. He reported that a deputy told him recently he heard Tom Fallis say he killed his wife.

Brandt immediately turned the information over to other authorities who are still investigating the death.

Bloomington police arrested 34-year-old Thomas Fallis on a warrant charging him with second-degree murder in November. He was arrested at his home in the 400 block of Laurelwood Drive. He is accused of killing his wife 28-year-old Ashley Fallis. She died of a gunshot wound at the family's Weld County, Colorado home on New Year's Day in 2012. Her death was initially ruled a suicide.

Days after her death, Thomas Fallis took the couple's three children and moved to Bloomington.

However, Ashley Fallis' relatives did not believe she committed suicide. They reached out to FOX31 Denver reporter Justin Joseph who discovered new clues in the case including statements from witnesses suggesting Ashley was murdered and that a police detective omitted and changed key witnesses statements, including one in which Tom Fallis allegedly confessed to neighbor Nick Glover, who claimed he heard Tom Fallis confess to his wife's murder outside Glover's window.

Glover shared Fallis' confession with Evans Police Officer Michael Yates, but Yates' reports omitted them. Yates was cleared of criminal wrongdoing this summer, but he is now the subject of an internal investigation.

To ensure impartiality, the Fort Collins Police Department has been investigating the case.

Sources told FOX31 Denver that last week a Weld County grand jury convened, hearing dozens of witness accounts including Nick Glover's. Monday, the grand jury indicted Fallis for second-degree murder.

"I extend my sincere sympathy to the family of Ashely Fallis for their loss and the revisited grief that can accompany the reopening of a case such as this one," Brandt said.

Brandt said the Fort Collins Police Department will take the lead in reexamining Ashley Fallis' death.

"It is my desire that an unbiased, professional third-party review of this case be conducted," he said.

Additionally, the Loveland Police Department will examine accusations against detective Yates, who is accused of omitting material statements from witnesses and changing a statement from one witness to "support a conclusion of suicide," Brandt said.

Brandt says Yates was still on active duty.

"Right now all I've got is third-hand information from a reporter who says, 'I heard this from these people,'" Brandt said. "Till we get more information, I'm not going to make any change to the duty status.

Tom Fallis was the only person home when his wife died. He also made the 911 call for help.

The following morning, he was interviewed about the shooting repeatedly told investigators "I did not kill my wife."

"That wound on the back of her head, isn't what she could do by herself Tom," interrogator Rita Wolfe told Tom Fallis.

Relatives of Ashley Fallis said they saw similar anger the night of her death after Tom Fallis found out someone at the party had marijuana.

"He was irate and explosive," said Ashley's mother, Jenna Fox, "He was abusive with his words and he was telling us he hated us, and to 'F*** everybody' and then he went into the room and slammed the door."

We reviewed photos of the crime scene showing a bedroom in disarray including photos knocked off the walls. Tom Fallis told investigators he and his wife never physically fought that night. However, a witness in the home behind the Fallis' contradicted that statement.

One police report quotes a witness named Chelsea Arrigo, who said she heard Ashley Fallis scream, "Get off me. Get off me," before the gunshot.

Tom denied he had touched Ashley, but evidence photos taken during his interview showed Tom had scratch marks on his chest.

Nick Glover, who lived next to the Fallis', said that the night of the shooting he, his sister and a friend hid in his home.

"I heard Fallis saying 'What did I do?' 'What did I do?'" Glover said.

Glover also said he heard Tom Fallis saying, "I shot her."

Glover said he repeated this to Evans Police Detective Michael Yates. Glover's mother said she was present during that admission.

However, Glover's statement never appeared in police reports.

Kathy Glover says a neighbor called her saying "call police your neighbor just shot his wife."

That statement contradicts the report prepared by Yates, which quoted Glover as saying "call police, your neighbor just shot herself."

Both Nick and Kathy Glover prepared sworn affidavits describing their accounts of the night. The Glovers said they were shocked to learn of the omissions and misstatements in the reports prepared by Yates.

Tom Fallis continues to maintain his innocence.

The last piece of evidence regards a statement made by one of the Fallis' children.

The six-year-old child told police she "saw daddy getting the gun ready" and said she "saw daddy shoot mommy."

Police discounted the testimony because the child said she witnessed three gunshots, but Ashley Fallis was only shot once.

Nationally renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht reviewed the evidence in the case.

Wecht believes the Evans Police Department botched the investigation, and that he does maintain there was sufficient evidence to charge Fallis for his wife's murder.

Ashley's family who has custody of the couple's children has set up a Facebook memorial page.

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