By Harshit, September 29, 2025 | Conifer, Colorado | 6:00 AM MST
A Disturbing Call from the Trail
On a warm Tuesday morning in Colorado’s Southern Rockies, the calm of Staunton State Park was broken by a distress call over law enforcement radios. At 9:30 a.m., 26-year-old seasonal ranger Callum Heskett reported he had been stabbed by a man along the Old Mill Trail, a popular route for hikers and climbers.
Deputy Thomas Zajac was the first to arrive. He found Heskett kneeling in the grass, clutching a pocketknife embedded in his abdomen. The ranger described his attacker as a White male, six feet tall, about 200 pounds, wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans. He claimed the man had cursed at him, shouted anti-police rhetoric, and then charged, seizing Heskett’s own knife during a struggle.
Heskett was airlifted to a hospital, where he repeated his story to multiple investigators. He even added that he had pepper-sprayed the assailant before the man fled into the forest.
The Manhunt and Public Fear
The report triggered a sweeping response. Colorado Parks and Wildlife shut down Staunton State Park and evacuated visitors. Agencies ranging from SWAT to drone surveillance units combed the rugged terrain for hours.
Residents in neighboring Conifer Mountain were warned via text and email alerts to lock their homes and stay inside. For locals living near the park boundary, the incident felt dangerously close.
“I immediately closed and locked all the doors,” one resident said. “If the suspect took the Old Mill Trail up into the wilderness, he could have ended up in my backyard.”
Despite the massive search, no suspect was located. Two brothers were briefly detained after tips from the public, but both were quickly released when they did not match the description. After eight tense hours, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office lifted the shelter-in-place order, claiming the attack was “targeted” and that the public was no longer in danger — though no arrest had been made.
Cracks in the Story
By late evening, investigators began noticing inconsistencies in Heskett’s account. Bodycam footage from Deputy Zajac showed Heskett kneeling on clean ground with no dirt or grass on his back, contradicting claims of a violent struggle. His pants were dirty only at the knees — consistent with kneeling, not being thrown to the ground.
Even more suspiciously, Heskett was seen using his phone while the knife remained in his abdomen. When questioned, he said he had been recording evidence of the scene to help the investigation, and even filmed his helicopter ride to the hospital because it was his first time flying.
A deeper probe into his phone revealed troubling search histories: “arteries in abdomen map,” “abdominal anatomy,” and “$1 million for each time you get stabbed.”
From Victim to Suspect
Faced with mounting contradictions, investigators directly asked Heskett whether he had stabbed himself. He denied it, but the evidence pointed toward fabrication. Officials later concluded that the incident was an elaborate hoax, staged by Heskett himself.
This revelation stunned both the community and law enforcement. What began as a frantic manhunt to capture a suspected park assailant ended in the exposure of a ranger who had allegedly orchestrated his own stabbing.
Community Reaction and Lingering Concerns
For residents and hikers, the news was deeply unsettling. Many had feared a violent suspect was still at large in the forests near their homes. “If they hadn’t caught the person, how could they say the neighborhood wasn’t at risk?” one local asked.
The incident also raises questions about trust, mental health, and the pressures faced by young officers. Heskett had previously told investigators he was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder following an earlier on-the-job injury while training with the Lafayette Police Department.
A Breach of Trust in the Wilderness
The Staunton State Park hoax underscores the fragile line between public safety and panic. What seemed at first to be a violent attack on a ranger turned out to be an act of deception that mobilized dozens of officers, alarmed a community, and cost critical resources.
Law enforcement officials have not yet announced potential charges, but the case serves as a stark reminder: in times of fear, credibility is everything.
