A California man was arrested for a double homicide a month after one of his alleged victims mentioned him by name in a Facebook post.
James David Collier, 66, was arrested by California Highway Patrol detectives on Sunday, marking the end of a month-long homicide investigation.
On March 24, Sean Pfeffer, 45, and Colter White, 54, were discovered dead in the back of a pickup truck in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Both died from gunshot wounds, according to the Santa Clara Medical Examiner.
However, it was a social media post by one of the deceased men, published on the alleged day of the murders, that led the police to Collier’s location.
In a Facebook post published at 5:10 p.m. on March 23, Pfeffer appeared to point the finger at Collier. Pfeffer posted on Twitter, “If today isn’t work out know that it was James Collier the piece of crap that I invited to this mountain that still hasn’t left,” subsequently adding, “I’m rolling down there right now Jimmy I hope you shoot me.”
It was Pfeffer’s final Facebook post before he and White were discovered dead. KSBW, a local NBC affiliate, reported on the medical examiner’s findings, which stated that White died from gunshot wounds to the torso and left extremities. Pfeffer died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
According to the CHP, both men were discovered in the bed of the pickup truck, prompting detectives to investigate the deaths as a double homicide.
After identifying Collier as a suspect, a CHP SWAT team, detectives and crime scene investigators from the Golden Gate Division Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT), and authorities from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office executed a search warrant at Collier’s residence.
The evidence gathered during the April 9 search provided the DA’s office with enough information to issue an arrest warrant for Collier.
KSBW obtained court documents indicating that Collier allegedly confessed to the murders.
According to the CHP, Collier was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail, where he is being held without bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
