Update December 23rd: Gruesome rumors spreading, here.
Update November 9th: Gag order lifted, victim named, here. Later, victim identified—same last name as murder suspect, here.
Update November 5th: The plot thickens, judge issues gag order in the case, here.
Update: You can find a few more details in the Greeley Tribune, here. Hat tip: Jerry Gordon
Fort Morgan, CO is a city that has been welcoming Somali and other African refugees ever since the meatpacking riots erupted in Greeley, CO more than a year ago. Today comes news that a twenty-year-old recently arrived refugee has been murdered by a Somali man outside her apartment. Here is the whole short story in the Denver Post. I will see if I can find more.
A man was arrested in Greeley early this morning just hours after a recent arrival to Fort Morgan was stabbed to death in front of her apartment house.
The woman, in her early 20s, is one of approximately 600 African refugees including Kenyans, Somalis and Nigerians living in the northeastern Colorado community, said Fort Morgan Police Chief Keith Kuretich.
It is the first homicide in Fort Morgan since Oct. 28, 2006.
Kuretich said police responded to the apartment complex in the 400 block of West Kiowa Avenue after receiving a 911 call reporting the stabbing.
The call was made by other tenants in the building.
Officers were quickly able to determine that a man had been seen with the victim in recent days and was the likely suspect, according to the chief.
After obtaining the man’s name and learning he was in Greeley, Fort Morgan Police contacted the Greeley Police Department, said the chief.
In the meantime, relatives of the victim had contacted the suspect and told him police were looking or him. At that point, the suspect, identified as Ahmed Abdi, 25, called the Greeley police and said he would turn himself in.
Abdi was arrested in Greeley and returned to Fort Morgan where he is being held for investigation of second-degree murder and first and second-degree assault.
Kuretich said authorities are trying to determine the exact relationship between the victim and Abdi. The victim’s name has not been released.
I’ve written many many posts on Ft. Morgan, but I commend this post to you now. It’s a post about a Ft. Morgan Times editorial a year ago that took a shot at RRW and I called the editorial naive and deceptive. Use our search function for all the other posts on “welcoming” Ft. Morgan.
Endnote: I know Abdi is a common Somali name, but I wonder if the suspect is related to Asad Abdi one of the Somali “community organizers” in Greeley, here.