Nathan Leon and Tom Clements Murders and How did their killer Evan Ebel Die? Nathan Leon, a father and husband, was killed in March 2013 by the same person who two days later murdered Colorado prisons head, Tom Clements. Leon was delivering pizzas when Evan Ebel, a recently released parolee, stole his uniform and shot him. When Ebel went to Clements’ house to murder him, he disguised himself in the uniform.
Colorado investigators were left scratching their heads when two seemingly random murders occurred two days apart. However, as they dug deeper, they discovered a cold-blooded conspiracy. ‘Valley of the Damned: The Kill List,’ a show on Investigation Discovery, dives into how Nathan Leon and Tom Clements were both slain by the same perpetrator, with the cops eventually figuring out why.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about what transpired in this case, here’s what we know.
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What Happened to Tom Clements and Nathan Leon?
Nathan Leon was a 27-year-old father of three daughters who was married. The devoted father and husband was married to Katie Leon, with whom he shared twin daughters and a daughter from a previous marriage. Nathan worked as a library assistant for IBM in Boulder, Colorado, and also delivered pizzas part-time. On March 17, 2013, the pizza restaurant reported him missing to the authorities.
Nathan was later discovered shot to death in a secluded area of Golden, Colorado. His visor and pizza outfit were both vanished. Another brutal murder occurred just two days later, shocking everyone. At his house in Monument, Colorado, Tom Clements, the 58-year-old executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, was shot and killed. The father of two was discovered on a stairwell with his wife, who contacted 911 at 8:42 p.m. on March 19, 2013, claiming Tom had been shot in the chest as he answered the door.
Who was Responsible for the Deaths of Tom Clements and Nathan Leon?
Evan Spencer Ebel, the main suspect, was quickly identified by the authorities. The 28-year-old had a tumultuous life and had previously been on the wrong side of the law. In 2003, he demanded money from a friend while brandishing a gun. A few days later, police discovered him in the backseat of someone’s car with a gun whose serial number had been wiped out. Things began to deteriorate at the beginning of the following year. Many believed that after the death of his teenage sister in January 2004, his violent life took a turn for the worse.
Evan carjacked a teenager, waved a gun at another woman, and accidently shot himself later that year in separate events. For the carjacking, he was sentenced to eight years in jail, which he began in June 2005. On the inside, though, things didn’t alter much because Evan assaulted a correctional guard in November 2006, subsequently pleading guilty to second-degree assault. He spent practically all of his time in solitary confinement, which had a negative impact on him.
Evan was released from prison in January 2013 following what appeared to be a clerical error, according to the investigation. While he was intended to serve a four-year sentence for assaulting the officer, it was never noted in the warrant sent to the Department of Corrections, thus it was assumed that he was serving a concurrent sentence. On March 6, 2013, Evan’s friend Stevie Vigil bought a 9mm handgun and later gave it to him.
Evan bought a car and ripped off his ankle bracelet a week later. On March 17, 2013, he placed an order for pizza and used it to lure Nathan to a truck stop, where he murdered the 27-year-old. Evan forced Nathan to deliver a statement that looked to indicate Evan’s discontent with solitary confinement, according to evidence obtained later on a recording device.
“In short, you treated us inhumanely, so we just strive to do the same; we take (comfort) in the knowledge that we leave your wives without husbands and your children fatherless,” it said in part. They’ll be your Frankenstein if you choose to play the mad scientist.”
Evan took Nathan’s uniform and other items, according to the investigators, in order to persuade Tom to answer the door. In the months that followed, the police discovered Evan was a member of the 211 Crew, a white supremacist prison gang. Authorities suspected Tom’s murder was part of a plot among the crew members by 2016. They believed Evan was aided in the killings.
What Caused Evan Ebel’s Death?
Evan went to Texas after the deaths and was arrested for a driving violation in Decatur on March 21, 2013. This eventually led to a shootout with sheriff’s deputies, during which the 28-year-old was murdered. Evan fired three shots at a sheriff’s deputy, striking him in the forehead, chest, and shoulder. Nathan’s clothing, visor, and pizza box were discovered in his crashed getaway car.
Directions to Tom’s house, bomb-making supplies and instructions, a voice recorder, duct tape, zip ties, and surveillance equipment were also discovered. The same 9mm gun was eventually found and proven to have been used in both murders. In 2019, it was announced that an informant had consented to testify about the 211 Crew’s suspected involvement. The statute of limitations had passed by the time the Colorado Attorney General’s Office learned of it.
