A Colorado man, who law enforcement officers suspect set off an explosion at a Mesa County apartment complex that resulted in the death of a teenager, was discovered dead near Leadville earlier this month.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office has identified the man found dead in his vehicle at a fishing access at Twin Lakes on April 5 as 29-year-old Andrew Alderman. Alderman rented a ground-floor apartment at 920 Iowa Avenue in Palisade that was the origin of an explosion earlier that morning, according to a news release from Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell.

The apartment complex went up in flames after the explosion, resulting in the death of 18-year-old Palisade resident Kloey Weythman, the news release states. All other residents of the apartment complex are safe and have been located.

“We recognize this is a horrible tragedy and an immensely difficult time for Kloey Weythman’s loved ones and that so many questions remain unanswered,” the news release states. 

Around 7:15 a.m. on April 5, the Palisade Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a large explosion on Iowa Avenue. By the time the first firefighters arrived minutes later, the building was engulfed in flames, according to the news release.

Crews battled heavy fire conditions that spread quickly through the old construction, the release states. Around 7:58 a.m., fire units reported that the fire was “mostly out.” By noon, law enforcement had confirmed the fatality from the fire.

Following a fire investigation, the Palisade Fire Department determined that the fire was started intentionally and that an accelerant was used to ignite the fire in Alderman’s apartment, according to the news release.

In attempts to locate Alderman, investigators discovered “disturbing videos” posted on his social media account, “indicating that he was responsible for the fire,” according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

The associated explosion was the result of a high volume of vapors from the accelerant within the apartment, the release states. There is no evidence that the explosion was due to any type of bomb or illicit drug lab, and utilities such as natural gas or appliance failure have also been ruled out, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office. Additional lab results should eventually determine the exact chemical accelerant used.

“This investigation remains active and ongoing as investigators are committed to figuring out the reason behind this senseless act,” the release states. “However, at this point, we are unable to arrive at a definitive motive. Unfortunately, we may never know or be able to determine what caused the suspect to do what he did.”

All residents displaced by the fire have been provided with temporary housing, and the town of Palisade has partnered with the American Red Cross to collect gift cards and monetary donations for the victims of the fire.

Around 12:45 p.m. the day of the explosion, the Palisade Police Department put out an “attempt to locate” notice to law enforcement throughout the state in an effort to find Alderman. Lake County Sheriff Patrol Deputy Danielle Lomascolo said that the sheriff’s office began looking for Alderman in the Leadville area around 3 p.m.

Acting on information posted on Alderman’s Instagram account, law enforcement started checking on fishing and camp accesses where Colorado Highway 82 passes along the shoreline of Twin Lakes, Lomascolo said. Then, just as investigators were able to pinpoint Alderman’s cell phone location, deputies discovered his hatchback Ford Focus at the fishing access, she said.

Because of the risks of the situation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a felony traffic stop and made multiple attempts to make contact with anyone inside the vehicle using a loudspeaker, Lomascolo said. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office reportedly assisted with the response by providing a drone and two personnel.

When law enforcement officers saw that there was no movement in the vehicle, the decision was made to deploy a less-lethal chemical agent into the vehicle to force anyone inside out, Lomascolo said. Four law enforcement officers then moved up to the Ford Focus, where Alderman was located dead in what appeared to be a self-inflicted manner, she said.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation took over the death investigation, Lomascolo said. Other agencies, including the Palisade police and fire departments, were also notified that the suspect had been located.

“We’re happy that he was found,” Lomascolo said. “Unfortunately, it ended in a poor manner, but we’re glad we were able to help the other agencies out with finding the suspect.”