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Man confesses to strangling victim

NICOLE FORMOSAsummit daily news
AP PhotoRobert Pastore, of Denver
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PARK COUNTY – The man who turned himself into a sheriff’s station in Bailey on Friday saying the body of a man he killed was inside his vehicle later told investigators he strangled his victim to death, according to the Park County Sheriff’s Office.Robert Pastore, 32, of Denver, confessed to killing the man by strangulation near Interstate 70 and Quebec on May 28, the sheriff’s office reported in a press release. Pastore then drove to an isolated campsite on Guenella Pass, near Georgetown, where he contemplated suicide for several days before driving to the sheriff’s substation on Friday afternoon. The motive was possibly drug related.An autopsy was performed on the victim Saturday morning, said Park County Coroner Sharon Morris, but the results are in the hands of the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case.

Morris has identified the victim and notified next of kin, but that information will also be released by the D.A., she said. The victim was in his 20s and lived in the Denver area, Morris said.Investigator Betty Royse with the D.A.’s office said deputy district attorney Sean Paris is handling the case and will not release any more information until Pastore is arraigned on June 12.”At that time the decision will be made on what charges to file and any other information that’s new (will be released),” Royse said.Pastore is being lodged at the Park County jail, and was in court Monday for an advisement, said Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore.The unusual circumstances of the case has everyone curious, Gore said.

“We were just overloaded on media calls on this,” Gore said, adding that most calls were from statewide media outlets. However, a relative of Gore’s told him that CNN ran a blurb about the case on its news program.Pastore drove to the sheriff’s station in Bailey at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday and reported that he was suicidal. He asked to speak to a deputy, and the deputy who interviewed Pastore noticed dried blood on his arms and wrist. When questioned about it, Pastore told the deputy he was suicidal because he had killed someone and the body was still in his vehicle in the parking lot.Pastore will be arraigned at 1:15 p.m. on June 12 at the Park County Courthouse.



Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 13625, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.


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