PALMER LAKE — Family and friends of cyclist Tim Watkins gathered in Palmer Lake for a community bike ride in his honor on Saturday afternoon.
It's been seven years since Watkins' body was found just off Limbaugh Trail near Mount Herman Road in Monument. To this day, no one has been arrested in connection with his death.
Watkins was a well-known cyclist in the area who knew the Rampart Range like the "back of his hand," according to his wife Ginger Chase-Watkins.
"He lived for the outdoors. He lived for his kids and his family," she said.
She remembers the day he went missing: Sept. 14, 2017. Chase-Watkins said Tim had gone out for a bike ride like any other day but never came home.
"He was such an avid rider and such an active rider. It just wasn't a second thought when he, you know, let me know he was going to be going out for a ride that day," she said.
Community members formed civilian search parties to look for Tim after he went missing, some thinking maybe he was injured during the ride and needed help. Three days after Tim was last seen, a civilian found his body near Mount Herman Road just off Limbaugh Trail. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said Tim's shoe and bike were found the day before in the same area. Deputies said Tim was shot at least once.
Seven years later, no one has been arrested for his murder.
"We still have the same questions as day one," said Isaac Watkins, Tim's son. "This year, I definitely feel a little more at peace with things, in a way, but still not completely at peace."
On Saturday, around 50 people gathered for a community bike ride in Tim's honor, sporting t-shirts with the phrase "Be Like Tim."
"If everybody could be like Tim, this world would be a better place. He was a gentle, happy, funny, fun-loving soul," said Chase-Watkins.
News5 reached out to the sheriff's office for an interview to go over the case. A spokesperson declined our request and said there are no new developments. Tim's family said they are hopeful one day they will get answers about his death.
"There's always hope that we, you know, know what's gone on," said Chase-Watkins. "We can't change what's gone on, but you know, we're always hopeful that we'll know what happened that day."
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