EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — A former El Paso County Sheriff's Deputy missing for nearly a year is now facing multiple charges and booked in the Teller County Jail. His former sheriff's office colleagues arrested Kevin Sypher, 57, after an "in-depth investigation."
Sypher, who worked for the office for 11 years, is now charged with felony theft, felony charitable fraud and two counts of official misconduct. Sheriff Joe Roybal shared these details with EPSO deputies in an internal email obtained by News 5. In the letter, Roybal states, "I am not pleased to share with you the following information," before detailing Sypher's arrest and charges.
Family and colleagues were concerned for Sypher when Parker Police reported he went missing on April 27, 2023. He was found two days later in the Denver area.
The following day on April 30, 2023, a family member reported that Sypher walked away from a vehicle they were riding in into the Wild Basin Area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Family members looking for Sypher in the park notified park rangers on May 1 that he was again missing, which prompted a four-day rescue mission.
Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue teams paired with a dog from the Front Range Rescue Dogs looked for Sypher in the Coplenad Falls area of the park, where National Park Service says a group of hikers reported seeing someone matching Sypher's description. On May 5, the search was suspended. That's the last anyone heard of Sypher until his arrest Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
Sypher was terminated for cause in August 2023 and the office denied our request for public records to learn the reason for his termination. While Sypher is now a former sheriff's county deputy, he is still certified as a law enforcement officer. Sources tell News 5 Investigates that before he disappeared, Sypher worked in the El Paso County Jail and conducted investigations.
The sheriff's office later released most of the details in Roybal's internal letter to the press, adding, "This is an active, ongoing investigation and further details regarding this situation will not be disclosed at this time."
Sypher has a $100,000 bond for only one charge, felony theft.
