Murder charges have been filed in the cold case of Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Inductee, Mike Rust. Rust disappeared in the San Luis Valley of Colorado in 2009.
At that time, Rust claimed during a phone call to a family member that someone had broken into his house located outside of Saguache, CO, and had stolen a .22 revolver. Rust rode off on his dirt bike looking for the perpetrator, and was never heard from again.
The story of Rust’s life as a mountain bike pioneer and his heretofore mysterious disappearance has been chronicled in the stellar documentary, The Rider & The Wolf. However, since the movie was released, new developments have to come to light in this cold case. Namely, Rust’s body has been found, and murder charges have been filed against Charles Moises Gonzales, 46, of Saguache County. “Gonzales is serving a prison sentence for unrelated charges in Cañon City, according to a news release by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation,” said Kirk Mitchell of the Denver Post.
At a showing of The Rider & The Wolf at the Salida Steamplant on April 29, 2016, shortly after Rust’s remains were positively identified by DNA, Rust’s family members expressed immense relief that his remains had been discovered. They noted that this was the best possible outcome in this unfortunate circumstance, because murder charges could not be filed until his body was located. At that time, Rust’s brothers expressed that they would continue to seek justice for Mike, and the filing of these murder charges are the latest development in this case.
Details on the Suspect, and the Discovery of Rust’s Body
An affidavit from the Saguache County Court was just released to The Mountain Mail, detailing the discovery of Rust’s body. Charles Gonzales was turned in by his son Michael, age 20. “Michael Gonzales alleged that he, his brothers and his dad had dug a hole for an underground clubhouse on property owned by his grandfather. When that hole was filled in with trash, and tires were placed on it, he found this suspicious,” according to The Mountain Mail.
According to the autopsy results, Rust “died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.”
However, after Charles Gonzales heard that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation was preparing to excavate the site, “Gonazles allegedly stated ‘they’re going to find it’ and claimed Rust’s death was an accident and was self-defense,” according to The Mountain Mail.
During an interview with the CBI, Gonzales painted Rust’s death as an accident:
“The affidavit reported he stated he was cutting wood behind where Rust lived and when (Gonzales) came down the road, Rust came after him on a motorcycle that he described as a dirt bike and started shooting, claiming Gonzales had broken into his house. A scuffle ensued and the .22 caliber revolver that Gonzales said Rust was carrying went off.
Rust’s family has stated that the only firearm missing from his residence was the black .22 caliber revolver he said was taken by the burglars.
According to the affidavit, Gonzales said he did not break into Rust’s home and that the shooting was an accident. When Rust collapsed, Gonzales stated he was ‘scared’ and he knew about the hole on his father’s property and put Rust into the hole.” (Source: The Mountain Mail)
However, Gonzales’s story does not explain how Rust was “accidentally” shot in the back of the head.
If you have not yet seen The Rider & The Wolf documentary, it’s well-worth watching! While Rust’s disappearance is a major part of the story, the documentary is also an engaging look at the origins of mountain biking in Central Colorado, and Rust’s roll in kickstarting the entire sport. You can check out the trailer here, and you can rent the full documentary for $3.99 on Vimeo.
