William L. Tippet Jr., known as Bill, was 72 when he was found dead in his Cañon City home on the 400 block of South Raynolds Avenue on the evening of January 6, 2023. A Navy veteran and longtime truck driver, he was discovered with trauma that investigators later determined were two gunshot wounds to the back of his head.

Investigators identified a person of interest and arrested his son, 36-year-old Joseph Tippet. According to an arrest affidavit, Joseph allegedly told investigators he shot his father with a .45 caliber handgun while the elder Tippet slept, and said he had been drinking and had used marijuana earlier that day. Joseph’s wife reportedly alerted authorities after receiving a voicemail in which he allegedly admitted the shooting.

Joseph Tippet was initially charged with first-degree murder and held on a $1 million bond. A judge later dismissed the first-degree charge, citing gross negligence by the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office over discovery violations, and the charge was reduced to second-degree murder. The case remains pending.

Did anyone in Cañon City know William Tippet or have information about him or the events that night?