AURORA | Police are looking for a 21-year-old man they say killed a 20-year-old Aurora woman whose body was found dumped in Clear Creek County last month.
Shawrae Butler is wanted on a first-degree murder charge stemming from the slaying of Queen Ashby, police said.
A motorist found Ashby’s body April 8 near Highway 103 in Clear Creek County. At first, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation didn’t know Ashby’s identity but after releasing a composite sketch of her and asking the public for help, the agency said they were able to ID her.
CBI initially called the case a “death investigation” and stopped short of saying Ashby had been slain.
But on Thursday, in announcing the warrant for Butler’s arrest, police said Ashby was killed in early April at 1433 Joliet St. in Aurora.
“After weeks of tireless investigative work with our law enforcement partners at the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation the Aurora Police Department Major Crimes/Homicide Unit has identified a suspect in the murder of Queen Ashby,” the statement said.
Aurora police spokeswoman Officer Diana Cooley said investigators aren’t releasing information about a potential relationship between Ashby and Butler. She said police aren’t disclosing whether either of the two lived at the home on Joliet.
Police said Butler should be considered armed and dangerous.
Butler stands 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds, police said. He has black hair and black eyes, police said.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to call the Aurora police Fugitive Apprehension and Surveillance Team Tip Line at 303-627-FAST (3278) or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). By calling Crime Stoppers, tipsters can remain anonymous and earn a $2,000 reward.
According to CBI records, Butler has been arrested six times in Colorado since 2014, including arrests for weapons possession, drunk driving, assault and cocaine possession.