STERLING, Colo. — A Fort Morgan man is facing a first-degree murder charge, after allegedly killing a Sterling woman in Missouri. Sarah Tafoya was reported missing in early May, weeks later her body was found in a wooded area in Clay County, north of Kansas City.
Tafoya's sister, Harmony Hartranft, said her sister was a a force to be reckoned with.
"When she was good, she was a really good mom," Hartranft told 9NEWS. "I don't want to paint a fairytale, my sister struggled with substance abuse but what happened with her is not because of her poor decisions."
Missouri State Highway Patrol announced the arrest of Benjamin Simmons this week. Authorities said Tafoya was reported missing on May 4. According to a news release, weeks later, on May 23 a witness reported to investigators that Simmons confessed to killing Tafoya in a Kansas City area hotel and left her body in a wooded area in Clay County. Investigators said when they interviewed Simmons he confessed and shared with authorities the area where her body was located.
Hartranft said she knew of Simmons.
"Yes, it was her boyfriend. It was the person she was traveling home with to Colorado," Hartranft explained as she shared the last conversation she had with her sister before she went missing.
"She reached out to us and was also telling us that she needed help and she was stuck there and she was scared," Hartranft added as she began to cry. "It was the first time that I felt like I felt I heard my sister in a long time."
Jasmine Johnson, Tafoya's best friend since childhood, said she also spoke to Tafoya the week before she went missing. Johnson said she warned Tafoya about Simmons.
"He was not a good person at all and I was telling her to please get away from him," Johnson said. "I miss talking to her. I only had one best friend because she was a lot to deal with," she laughed as she wiped away tears.
Tafoya will be remembered as a mom to four kids, a daddy's girl and a person unafraid of anything. Her family said they've learned a lot since her death.
"If you care about someone, you love someone, don't let their choices define how you love them," Hartranft said.
Due to the investigation, Sarah's family said they have not been able to bring her body home. In the mean time they are raising funds to give Sarah a proper service when the time comes.
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