Dakota Valkyrie
March 9th, 2009, 12:34 PM
http://i43.tinypic.com/9jdmb8.jpgTrial for a Craig man accused of killing his wife and burying her in a gold mine is scheduled for June.
Terry Hankins, 72, has been in custody since August 2007. He is charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the June 2007 death of Cynthia Hankins, 34.
Terry Hankins pleaded not guilty in March 2008. His trial originally was set for December 2008 in Moffat County but was postponed following a series of court actions.
In September, O'Hara threw out four confessions made by Terry Hankins. He said Terry Hankins didn't receive a proper Miranda warning.
On Feb. 24, the Colorado Supreme Court reversed that ruling and restored the confessions. The high court determined Terry Hankins wasn't in custody and wasn't subject to the warning when he initially confessed and led investigators to Cynthia Hankins' body.http://www.cortezjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=4998&TM=42773.8
Colorado gold miner Terry Hankins appeared infatuated with Cynthia Denise Runnels.
Although the then 70-year-old Craig gold prospector was 34 years older than Runnels, he sent letters to the Texas prison where she was serving time for felony "family violence."
After Runnels was released from prison in July 2006, Hankins tried to persuade her to come to Craig and marry him. He would send Cynthia Runnels money. When she wouldn't move to Colorado, he would send more. Eventually, Cynthia moved to Craig and married him.
Now, Hankins is in the Moffat County detention facility, accused of murdering his wife of six months, among other charges.
Cynthia Runnels-Hankins' body was unearthed near one of Hankins' gold mines, 5 feet below ground, covered with a pile of dirt 12 feet wide at the base and 6 feet high.
Runnels-Hankins' family members and investigators say the relationship between the miner and his wife went downhill rapidly after they married in December.
In March, Hankins went to court seeking a divorce and a temporary restraining order against Runnels-Hankins, alleging domestic abuse. The allegations were similar to two criminal cases filed against her in Texas.
But days later, Hankins withdrew the divorce and temporary-restraining-order requests.
Runnels-Hankins would call Texas at least three times a day because in Texas she had two children - son Jordan O'Neal, 13, and daughter Tamera Runnels, 11.
She had originally wanted the children to spend the summer in Colorado with her and her new husband but decided against it because the relationship was deteriorating rapidly.
Vanatta said investigators believe Runnels-Hankins was slain at the couple's Craig apartment. A Human Remains Recovery Dog alerted police to the presence of human fluids in the apartment.http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6727625
Terry Hankins, 72, has been in custody since August 2007. He is charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the June 2007 death of Cynthia Hankins, 34.
Terry Hankins pleaded not guilty in March 2008. His trial originally was set for December 2008 in Moffat County but was postponed following a series of court actions.
In September, O'Hara threw out four confessions made by Terry Hankins. He said Terry Hankins didn't receive a proper Miranda warning.
On Feb. 24, the Colorado Supreme Court reversed that ruling and restored the confessions. The high court determined Terry Hankins wasn't in custody and wasn't subject to the warning when he initially confessed and led investigators to Cynthia Hankins' body.http://www.cortezjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=4998&TM=42773.8
Colorado gold miner Terry Hankins appeared infatuated with Cynthia Denise Runnels.
Although the then 70-year-old Craig gold prospector was 34 years older than Runnels, he sent letters to the Texas prison where she was serving time for felony "family violence."
After Runnels was released from prison in July 2006, Hankins tried to persuade her to come to Craig and marry him. He would send Cynthia Runnels money. When she wouldn't move to Colorado, he would send more. Eventually, Cynthia moved to Craig and married him.
Now, Hankins is in the Moffat County detention facility, accused of murdering his wife of six months, among other charges.
Cynthia Runnels-Hankins' body was unearthed near one of Hankins' gold mines, 5 feet below ground, covered with a pile of dirt 12 feet wide at the base and 6 feet high.
Runnels-Hankins' family members and investigators say the relationship between the miner and his wife went downhill rapidly after they married in December.
In March, Hankins went to court seeking a divorce and a temporary restraining order against Runnels-Hankins, alleging domestic abuse. The allegations were similar to two criminal cases filed against her in Texas.
But days later, Hankins withdrew the divorce and temporary-restraining-order requests.
Runnels-Hankins would call Texas at least three times a day because in Texas she had two children - son Jordan O'Neal, 13, and daughter Tamera Runnels, 11.
She had originally wanted the children to spend the summer in Colorado with her and her new husband but decided against it because the relationship was deteriorating rapidly.
Vanatta said investigators believe Runnels-Hankins was slain at the couple's Craig apartment. A Human Remains Recovery Dog alerted police to the presence of human fluids in the apartment.http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6727625