Colorado woman in fatal crash was stabbed first, ex charged

Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of domestic violence. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or abuse, you can find resources and discreet ways to get help on the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or by calling 1-800-799-7233. (NewsNation) — A 28-year-old Colorado woman who was involved in a car crash was stabbed before dying, police said, and now her parents are speaking out. Police found Haley Rippetoe in a ditch after a rollover car crash around 1:17 a.m. on June 21 with multiple traumatic injuries. According to an autopsy referenced in the affidavit, her injuries were inconsistent with a vehicle collision. Instead, they were “intentional, deliberate injuries inflicted by another person," the affidavit said. Her injuries were later determined to be stab wounds. “We lost our world. She was the glue to the family,” her mother, Deborah Rippetoe, told NewsNation affiliate KDVR. Haley Rippetoe's ex-boyfriend, who was arrested in connection with her death, had previous domestic violence allegations against him. “I told (police), this is no accident, Justin De Nileon, go find him,” Haley Rippetoe’s father, Ryan Rippetoe, told the outlet. Justin De Nileon, 29, faces one count of first-degree murder in connection with Haley Rippetoe's death and one count of violation of a protection order. Days before his arrest, in Erie, Colorado, police responded to an iPhone crash alert, finding a woman, identified as Haley Rippetoe, dead outside in a ditch on the driver's side of her car, which had rolled over after being in a two-vehicle crash. Another car had hit hers from behind before it rolled over, according to crash investigators. Responders to the scene noticed injuries, later determined to be stab wounds. According to the affidavit, she had sharp force injuries to her torso, neck and head. A judge granted Haley Rippetoe a protection order after De Nileon had allegedly been violent with her and threatened to hurt her if she ended the relationship. The two were together for years before she left him about six months ago, her parents said. In May, De Nileon was arrested in Broomfield, Colorado, for allegedly kidnapping Haley Rippetoe and their 3-year-old son. He was released after posting bond. “A piece of paper is supposed to save my daughter from a monster,” Ryan Rippetoe said. “The only thing that would’ve helped is if he stayed in custody.” Police found De Nileon hiding in his parents' backyard and covered in the blood the night his ex-girlfriend died, according to court documents. Investigators also tracked his car in the area of the crash. A preliminary hearing in the murder case is set for July 23.