A fatal road-rage shooting on U.S. Highway 24 south of Leadville claimed the life of 40-year-old Landon Levell Mentink on the night of September 23, 2025. Deputies were called to the 13200 block of the highway around 10 p.m., and found Mentink deceased from gunshot wounds. Mentink was a Navy veteran who had served multiple tours during the Iraq War era and was remembered in memorial notices with plans for military honors in Leadville.

Authorities identified and arrested 31-year-old Leadville resident Robert Price Chase that same night. Chase was booked into the Lake County Detention facility and charged with second-degree murder; bond was set at $100,000 after his initial court appearance. A probable-cause statement says Chase claimed Mentink had grabbed and threatened him prior to the shooting, but investigators and prosecutors filed the murder charge. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office are continuing the investigation and no other suspects have been announced.

Did anyone in the area see activity on Highway 24 near the 13200 block that night or know either man’s movements leading up to the confrontation?