[4] Ervin and his friend walked up to the driver's window and leaned in to ask him a question, which, depending on the source, was either about offering them a bottle of beer or if Bonham and Holt were waiting for somebody.

[3] At the initial stages, police had trouble identifying any suspects due to the seemingly random nature of the killing, which was called 'senseless' by law enforcement.

[8] Fearing arrest, Ervin fled to Colorado and settled in Denver, changing his name to "Joe Michael Erwing" in an attempt to conceal his identity.

From 1970 to 1977, Ervin would be repeatedly charged with offenses such as burglary, rape, sexually abusing children, and assault with a deadly weapon, but each time was found not guilty on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Later investigations would reveal that on at least two occasions, typographical errors in listing Ervin's real name and birth date failed to link him to the active arrest warrant in Texas, allowing him to post bail in two cases of rape and theft.

On July 1, he hanged himself with a makeshift rope made from pieces of a towel, and by the time he was driven to Brighton Community Hospital, he was pronounced dead.

[16] Upon examining his jail cell, prison officials found a suicide note in which Ervin expressed remorse for his crimes and begged for forgiveness from his victims and the residents of Denver.

[19] At the time of his death, Ervin was not considered a suspect in the murders of Furey-Livaudais, Barajas, Harris, and Parks, all of which were initially believed to be unrelated to one another and investigated separately.