COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — 25-year-old Nicholas Jordan, who is accused of murdering his roommate and a woman in a dorm room at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, (UCCS) made his first appearance in an El Paso County courtroom Friday morning.
Judge David Shakes ruled to unseal the arrest affidavit for the suspect, which includes details about the probable cause officers presented to arrest Jordan.
As the hearing started, Judge Shakes disclosed he was an instructor at UCCS and has taught various classes at the university. However, Judge Shakes said he did not believe this would impact his judgment, since the university is not a party in the case.
The parties also discussed a date for Jordan's preliminary hearing. The public defender representing Jordan said their office had suffered a cyberattack and was struggling with electronic proceedings. Jordan's attorney requested the preliminary hearing be scheduled out 60 days to allow for their office to recover from the cyberattack.
During this discussion, Jordan seemed confused and said "Can that date come up faster?" After a short recess, the defense said Jordan did not want to waive his right to a preliminary hearing within 35 days. The parties scheduled the preliminary hearing for March 27 at 9 a.m., with a status hearing scheduled for March 15 to see if the public defender's office will be ready on that date.
The defense also requested the judge reduce Jordan's bond from $5 million to a PR bond. Under Colorado law, a PR bond is a signature bond that involves no money or property as long as the defendant appears at all future court dates.
The prosecution disagreed with this calling on the fact that there are two homicide victims and families in the community, as well as citing that Jordan did not turn himself in, fled for three days after his alleged crime, and said officers found a handgun and a loaded AK-47 in his vehicle at the time of his arrest.
Judge Shakes denied the defense's request and ruled Jordan's bond will remain at $5 million.
Jordan was arrested Monday morning, three days after he allegedly shot and killed 24-year-old Samuel Knopp and 26-year-old Celie Rain Montgomery in Crestone House, a dormitory in the Alpine Village community on the UCCS campus. Police said Knopp and Jordan were roommates.
The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said Jordan is from Detroit and was found in a vehicle about three miles west of campus on Monday. UCCS confirmed Jordan was a student enrolled in classes at the time of the shooting.
CSPD said UCCS Police found Knopp and Montgomery dead with at least one gunshot wound each inside a dorm room just after 6 a.m. on February 16. The arrest affidavit says a third roommate called police after hearing shots fired inside the dorm. The relation of Montgomery to the other two remains unclear.
Knopp was a senior studying music and was an “accomplished guitar player,” according to the university. Friends of Montgomery tell News5 she was a dedicated mother of two and a health enthusiast.
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