What happened to Byron Griffey?
Co-owner of Charles Anthony Funeral Home Anthony Wright said in the series that on October 12, 2012, the day before his 76th birthday, he and business partner Charles Gibler drove to Byron’s farm to take a fellow funeral director to lunch.
When they arrived, the gate was locked, Anthony said on the series. He told Colorado Bureau of Investigation investigators that he and Charles arrived at the farm around noon, according to interview footage.
Authorities noted two missed calls on Byron’s cell phone, the first from Charles at 12:43 p.m. Anthony told CBI agents that he drove a short distance around Fowler looking for Byron’s new home, but gave up and drove an hour back to Florence, Colorado.
When Byron didn’t show up for dinner that night, Lynette and Gina said they went to the farm to look for him.
Gina first discovers Byron lying in an empty bedroom in an old house, dead from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.
“There was very little blood,” former Otero County Sheriff’s Lt. Carol Coates said of the series’ crime scenes. “I think my words were ‘weird.'”
Otero County District Attorney James Bullock said in the series that Byron’s body appeared staged to look like he was lying face up in a casket.
Charles and Anthony were in charge of the arrangements, and Gina said “pretty much the whole town” turned out for Byron’s funeral on October 19th.
Charles was also a deacon at the church and delivered the eulogy.
