Pueblo County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested a 23-year-old Pueblo man Wednesday afternoon (December 14, 2016) in connection with the homicide of 21-year-old Bradley Trager.

Detectives found Trager’s body late Tuesday night in a field in Eastern Pueblo County, not far from where he was last seen alive. Trager was listed as missing and possibly endangered after he had not been seen or heard from since late Friday night.

Tyler Eugene Richards was arrested without incident and booked into the Pueblo County Detention Center this evening on a warrant for first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated robbery, second-degree assault, menacing with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.

“This was a great job by our detectives who spent three solid days working the missing person investigation, which tragically has now become a homicide” said Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk M. Taylor.

Detectives were notified of Trager’s disappearance Saturday night after his girlfriend, who was the suspect’s ex-girlfriend, reported that he had gone to her home on Elderberry Road in Eastern Pueblo County late Friday night and confronted Trager. The woman said the suspect pointed a gun at Trager then handcuffed him and ordered him into his truck. When Trager refused to follow his orders, the woman said the suspect hit Trager in the head with a baseball bat, put him in the truck and drove away from the area. The woman said the suspect returned a short time later in his truck but Trager was not in the vehicle. The woman said the suspect told her Trager was dead. The suspect left the woman’s home a second time and did not return. Detectives attempted to question the suspect on Sunday in connection with Trager’s disappearance but he refused to talk.

On Tuesday, detectives learned Trager’s body was possibly in a field just off of Grape Road in Eastern Pueblo County. Detectives searched the area and found Trager’s body on private property.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Photo: Tyler Eugene Richards. Courtesy Pueblo County Sheriff's Office