Statement from the Sheriff’s Office Regarding Recent Inmate Deaths at the El Paso County Jail

This week, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office recognized eight volunteers at a graduation ceremony at the Office of the Sheriff, celebrating their successful completion of the 2026 Wildland Fire Academy. Each graduate earned Firefighter II Certification. The hands-on, three-week academy began on October 10, 2026, and provided each cadet with more than 65 hours of classroom instruction and field

In November 2025, detectives from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division were alerted to the possibility a deputy assigned to the El Paso County Jail was facilitating the distribution of contraband throughout the facility. Detectives with the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) launched a months-long investigation which included executing multiple search warrants, conducting interviews, reviewing video footage, and reviewing

On November 8, 2025, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) was notified of a suspected custody violation of a court order involving a toddler. The reporting party advised deputies they had been granted full custody of the child; however, the child’s mother, 30-year-old Aleyha Murphy, refused to comply with the court order and return the child. During the initial