Bent County Jail Escapee Found Deceased in Southeast Colorado

Rocky Ford, CO – A fugitive escapee wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bent County Sheriff’s Office has been located deceased in rural Otero County, Colorado.

The body of fugitive Mark Fox, 46, was located inside an unoccupied farmhouse near Colorado Hwy 71 and Hwy 10, approximately 5 miles south of Rocky Ford. The Otero County Sheriff’s Office received a call Saturday afternoon around 4:00pm from a former resident of the property who had returned to retrieve some property and discovered the body inside.

Due to the state of decomposition, it was not immediately apparent that Fox was the decedent. A forensic specialist from the FBI was brought in to assist in obtaining post-mortem fingerprints. An autopsy was performed Monday morning by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office. The cause of death is undetermined pending results of toxicology. It is believed Fox had been deceased for approximately 2-3 weeks upon discovery. No obvious signs of foul play are apparent at this time.

The U.S. Marshals Service would like to thank the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Colorado Department of Corrections, Bent County Sheriff’s Office, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Fountain Police Department, and Colorado Springs Police Department for their assistance and joint cooperation in this investigation.

The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) is a multi-jurisdictional fugitive task force that targets the most violent offenders to include those wanted for murder, assault, sex offenses, and other serious offenses throughout the state and country. 

Nationally, the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries. Follow us on Twitter @USMSDenver.