Federal agents arrest Lakewood slaying suspect at border crossing

LAKEWOOD – A suspect in the June bludgeoning death of a Lakewood man is in a federal lockup in West Texas after he was arrested Wednesday at a border crossing between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, apparently while he was trying to flee the country.

Edward Gerald Graham, 29, is accused in the June 24 baseball-bat beatings of Kevin Ray Phillips and Rebecca Sue Griffis at a home in the 1300 Block of Ammons Street. Phillips died of his injuries at an area hospital July 4, less than two weeks after the beatings. Griffis was injured, but survived.

Jefferson County prosecutors are awaiting word on whether Graham – who is an El Paso, Texas, resident – will agree to return to Colorado.

“If he elects to waive extradition then, obviously, we will begin the process of bringing him back to Jefferson County. If he does not, then we will take the steps necessary to bring him back,” said Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office.

Russell said a governor’s warrant would be needed if Graham does not return voluntarily.

Lakewood Police investigators say Graham and two other men – Tomas Angel Rodriguez and Tony Dimis Armijo, both 27 – were visiting Phillips at 1330 Ammons St. the night of June 24 when a fight broke out. Investigators say Graham beat the victim with a baseball “in the course of or in furtherance of that crime, or in the immediate flight therefrom,” according to court documents.

Lakewood Police spokesman Steve Davis said the trio arrived at Phillips’ residence in a stolen car and that, after the victims were bludgeoned, the suspects fled the scene in the victim’s sport utility vehicle.

“They all got in a fight … during the fight, the victim was hit in the head by a baseball bat, but was able to get back into his residence before he collapsed,” Davis said Thursday. “The suspects left the stolen vehicle they arrived in there (at the crime scene) and left in his (Phillips’) vehicle.”

No further details of the crime are available because the court sealed nearly all the arrest-related documents, Russell said.

Graham is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft and two counts of committing a crime of violence.

Rodriguez, who was arrested June 29, is being held without bail in the Jefferson County Jail. He is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, a single count of assault and aggravated motor vehicle theft and two counts of theft by receiving.

Armijo, who apparently has bonded out of jail, faces two counts of theft by receiving, according to the DA’s Office.

Authorities have not released mug shots of the suspects.