Man Accused of Killing Four People While Out on Parole

A Colorado man is now facing four separate murder charges after authorities say he allegedly killed multiple people during two different periods while he was out on parole.

Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith, 38, had already been accused of three murders connected to a violent crime spree in the Denver area last summer. Now prosecutors say he is also responsible for a fourth killing dating back to 2022.

The new charge was announced last week by prosecutors in Arapahoe County.

Authorities say Roybal-Smith is responsible for the deaths of two men in Aurora during the early morning hours of June 29, 2025. The victims, 27-year-old Jesse Shafer and 61-year-old Scott Davenport, were both homeless at the time of the attacks.

Police say Shafer was stabbed about 15 times around 1:45 a.m. on Moline Street. Less than an hour later, Davenport was found stabbed roughly 90 times in the back on Peoria Street.

Later that same day, Roybal-Smith was arrested in Denver following a hit-and-run involving two pedestrians near Galapago Street and West 9th Avenue.

But the case took another disturbing turn hours later inside the jail.

By 2 a.m. the following morning, Roybal-Smith’s cellmate, 36-year-old Vincent Chacon, was found dead in their shared cell.

At first, officials believed Chacon may have choked on an apple. Roybal-Smith reportedly told deputies his cellmate had been choking and needed help.

However, an autopsy later determined that Chacon actually died from strangulation caused by external pressure on his neck.

The death sparked outrage from Chacon’s family, who questioned why he was placed in a cell with Roybal-Smith in the first place.

Chacon had reportedly been jailed only for a traffic violation and was waiting to be released.

“My son was supposed to be released,” Chacon’s mother told local media. “Instead we got a call from the coroner saying he had died.”

Meanwhile, prosecutors have now filed a fourth murder charge connected to the death of Meg Eberhart in 2022.

Eberhart was found unconscious at a light rail station in Englewood after reportedly stepping out of a rideshare vehicle to use the restroom around 3 a.m. A rideshare driver told police he heard her scream and saw a man knock her to the ground before running away.

Eberhart was taken to a hospital but died several days later.

At the time, investigators suspected Roybal-Smith but prosecutors declined to file charges because the cause of death had been ruled “undetermined.”

Now, nearly three years later, prosecutors say they believe her death was the result of a criminal act and have formally charged Roybal-Smith.

Authorities say Roybal-Smith was on parole when Eberhart was attacked.

Records show the Colorado Department of Corrections had previously labeled him a “very high” risk for reoffending before later reducing his classification to “moderate risk.”

Just one day before Eberhart was attacked in 2022, Roybal-Smith had been arrested for causing a disturbance at a Walmart in Englewood where he allegedly threatened customers.

He received a four-year prison sentence for that incident but was later granted parole in early 2025.

Investigators now say that shortly after being released, Roybal-Smith allegedly went on to kill three more people.

According to records, Roybal-Smith has been granted parole four different times since 2012.