EL PASO COUNTY — On April 29, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office arrested a suspect in the murder case of Alison Cantrell, after her body was found on March 15 near the intersection of Old Pueblo Road and Midway Ranch Road.
The sheriff's office said the suspect, Joseph Hunnicutt, was located with the assistance of the Grayson County Sherriff's Office and is currently being held at the Collin County Jail located in McKinney, Texas, on the charge of First Degree Murder.
On Monday, May 3, the El Paso County Coroner's Office released Cantrell's autopsy. Her cause of death is listed as strangulation, but the report does describe several blunt force injuries as well.
Cantrell's cousin tells News5 Hunnicutt was Cantrell's significant other, but the two never officially married.
EDIT: I just talked with #AlisonCantrell’s cousin, who tells me she was never officially married to Joseph Hunnicutt. The two were together for a long time. https://t.co/YKFE9Oi9DI
— Colette Bordelon (@ColetteBordelon) May 4, 2021
According to the Sheriff's Office, Cantrell was last seen in public on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at the 7-11 located on 21st Street in Colorado Springs.
One of Cantrell's friends, Bethany Schneider, spoke to News5 when Cantrell was first identified. She said Cantrell was a fun-loving mother, who was very outgoing. "Just running through my mind of how it could happen and who would do it... She's a very kind person, but she wasn't stupid. She wouldn't meet up with somebody without someone knowing where she was going, she wouldn't get into a vehicle with people that she didn't know," said Schneider.
Cantrell worked at Mother Muff's, which provided News5 with this statement:
Alison, Ally to us, was an amazing woman! She was tough and sassy but sweet and kind at the same time. She brought positivity to every shift, and you knew it was going to be a good day when you saw that smile. She was a fun, loving mother and a big part of our family. She will be missed every day by everyone of us.
According to a Facebook post, Cantrell went by the nickname "Crash" and used to participate in a roller derby league in California.
She began skating with the Derby Darlins in 2007 and was described as a "valuable member" of the team.
"Crash is an excellent skater which allows her to slide through walls with ease as a jammer, and when that doesn't work, she just crashes through them," a Facebook post from the Ventura County Derby Darlins stated.
If anyone has information about the case, they are encouraged to the El Paso County Sheriff's Investigations Tip Line at 719-520-6666.
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El Paso County Sheriff's Office identifies woman's body found near Old Pueblo Road
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