Father and son arrested in connection with triple murder in California

DENVER — A father and his son, who has ties to Colorado, have been arrested in connection with a triple murder in which a Boulder man was slain.

Detectives with the Sonoma County, Calif., Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of Francis R. Dwyer, 65, and his son, Odin Leonard Dwyer, 38, Friday on suspicion of murder and other charges.

Todd Klarkowski, 42, of Boulder; Raleigh Butler, 24, of Sebastopol, Calif.; and Richard Lewin, 46, of Huntington, N.Y.; were killed Feb. 5 in what police believe was a drug deal gone bad. Central City resident Mark William Cappello, 46, was also arrested in the case on Feb. 19.

Officers there say his arrest happened almost by accident as he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop on Interstate 10. The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif. reports It wasn’t until they ran his license plate they realized Sonoma County issued an order to seize his vehicle for a search warrant.

“After Cappello’s arrest, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office detectives traveled to Alabama to conduct a forensic examination of his vehicle and collect possible evidence. Cappello declined to be interviewed by the detectives when they arrived in Alabama,” the statement says.

Police said that although they believe they now have all the suspects in custody, much investigation remains to be done. The case has already spanned multiple states