Clear Creek County mother charged with concealing death of son who skipped court in assault case

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — A Clear Creek County woman was arrested Friday, accused of concealing the death of her 43-year-old son, who failed to appear in court on charges related to a hit-and-run case that injured a law enforcement officer last year.

Phyllis Hull, 79, was arrested after Clear Creek County deputies, serving a failure to appear warrant, found the body of Aaron Family inside a home in the 400 block of Silver Lakes Drive in the Dumont area Friday evening, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said Family appeared to have died days earlier from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death may have occurred before his Jan 21 court date, the sheriff’s office said.

The coroner will confirm his identity and determine the official cause and timing of death.

Family was facing multiple felony charges in connection with an Oct. 19 hit-and-run investigation that escalated into a pursuit and multiple assaults on law enforcement.

Deputies say Family fled a Safeway parking lot crash in Idaho Springs, then reversed his vehicle during a traffic stop, knocking down an Idaho Springs Police Officer who was later hospitalized as a precaution.

Family allegedly continued onto Interstate 70, where he rammed a sheriff’s patrol car into a center barrier, disabling it.

Deputies eventually stopped him with stop sticks near Dumont, where he crashed by a vacant church and was taken into custody on several charges, including first-degree assault on a peace officer, vehicular eluding, driving under the influence of drugs and reckless driving, among others.

Family posted bond in December and failed to appear for a Jan. 21 court date, prompting the warrant, according to the sheriff’s office.

Another arrest was made in connection with Friday’s discovery.

The sheriff’s office said Kenneth Walcott, 79, was arrested on suspicion of accessory to a crime – first-degree assault.