The jury trial for the suspect in the murder of 28-year-old Joseph Michael Brinson has been postponed until December.
Blake Quinlan, a 19-year-old Broomfield resident, faces a first-degree murder charge as well as a number of others, including tampering with a deceased human body, four counts of identity theft, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, theft, possession of a defaced firearm and two violent crime counts. He pleaded not guilty to all of those charges last October and will return to court Friday for a motions hearing before his jury trial begins Dec. 1.
According to Jeffco Sheriff’s Office investigator TJ Woodin, who spoke during a preliminary hearing last summer, it didn’t take long for Quinlan to disclose his role in Brinson’s murder. When Woodin and a colleague traveled to the Sherman County jail in Texas, Quinlan initially refused to talk. But less than an hour later, he allegedly told the Jeffco Sheriff’s officers what he knew about the incident.
Quinlan and Brinson had mutual friends, according to information previously presented.
Brinson, 28, was last seen Jan. 16, 2019, at his home in the 9000 block of Mica Mine Gulch Road in Littleton near Mountain Air Ranch and south of Tiny Town. His family reported him missing on Jan. 23, 2019.
Quinlan had previously been held in the Sherman County jail in Texas on unrelated charges, according to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. He was later transported and booked into the Jeffco jail.
According to information presented during the preliminary hearing, investigators were able to connect Quinlan to Brinson through financial records and security footage after Brinson’s credit card was used at various restaurants throughout the metro Denver area.
After returning to Colorado, Quinlan led investigators to the spot in eastern Colorado where he allegedly left Brinson’s body.
Contact reporter Deborah Swearingen at dswearingen @evergreenco.com or 303-350-1042. Follow her on Twitter @djswearingen.