By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Denver Police arrested 38-year-old Ricky Lee Roybal-Smith early Monday morning, July 1, following the death of his cellmate at the Downtown Denver Detention Center. The alleged homicide came just hours after Roybal-Smith was jailed on unrelated charges—less than a day after two Aurora stabbings.
Roybal-Smith’s criminal history spans nearly two decades and includes convictions for assault, felony menacing, DUI-related vehicular assault, and obtaining controlled substances by fraud. He’s also faced repeated parole violations and multiple arrests involving weapons. Despite this record, he was granted early release in 2023.
Denver Police said deputies found an unresponsive man in a shared jail cell around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Officers said the victim had been assaulted and died despite life-saving efforts. Roybal-Smith was arrested about 30 minutes later and is now being held on investigation of first-degree murder.
The fatal jail assault followed two deadly stabbings in northwest Aurora the previous morning. At 1:45 a.m., police found a man with stab wounds on Moline Street. Hours later, a second victim was discovered near a Peoria Street bus stop south of East Colfax.
On June 30, Aurora Police said they believed the two incidents were connected based on when they happened and how the victims were injured.Two days later, they secured a warrant for Roybal-Smith on two counts of first-degree murder. He’s still being held in Denver but is expected to be moved to Adams County custody.
While Aurora Police have recommended first-degree murder charges, formal charges had not been filed by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Aurora Police did not respond to RMV’s request for comment ahead of publication.
Arrested for DUI and hit-and-run on the evening of June 30, Roybal-Smith was in jail by 6:20 p.m. Hours later, a man in his cell was dead.
Across Colorado, law enforcement tracks DUI deaths, releases crash data, and announces checkpoints in an effort to reduce impaired driving.
DUI continues to be a major cause of injury and fatal crashes in Colorado, State Patrol (CSP) reports, with summer bringing higher risk. In a June 30 release, CSP stated that troopers handled more than 2,450 serious wrecks involving impaired drivers from 2021 to 2023.
“You have the freedom to choose your sober driver,” CSP Chief Matthew Packard stated. “When you fail to do your part… the consequences will be life-changing.”
For Roybal-Smith, impaired driving wasn’t just a traffic offense—it was part of a longer pattern that escalated with every release.
Roybal-Smith was paroled early from a 12-year sentence for vehicular assault and later released again following a 2023 parole violation. While no official reason for his early releases has been disclosed, critics argue that Colorado’s population management policies too often favor system efficiency over public safety.
A July 1 post from the X account @dobetterdnvr questioned how a high-risk offender was released early—only to be arrested again and allegedly linked to three deaths in under 24 hours. “Is Colorado’s early parole release program failing us?” the post asked, tagging Gov. Jared Polis and urging public response.
He remains in custody in Denver while prosecutors in Adams County evaluate murder charges related to the Aurora stabbings.
The state’s own data underscores how common it is for individuals to reoffend within just a few years of release. According to the Colorado Department of Corrections, 19% of individuals released from prison in 2022 returned within three years due to new criminal activity—not including technical violations like missed appointments. The total three-year return rate for that cohort, including technical violations, was just over 30%.
CDOC Recidivism Dashboard: 3-Year Return Rate by Type
Source: Colorado Department of Corrections, July 2025 — cdoc.colorado.gov
That same dashboard shows 7.2% of 2022 releasees returned to prison within a year for a new crime—underscoring how fast some reoffend.
CDOC 1-Year Return Rate by Type
Source: Colorado Department of Corrections, July 2025 — cdoc.colorado.gov
Critics argue the public should know more about who’s being let out, and why—especially when it comes to repeat offenders.
That Roybal-Smith was out on parole during the attacks has deepened concerns about how Colorado handles early releases.
Across Colorado, Roybal-Smith’s case is fast becoming a flashpoint in the debate over who decides parole—and what it’s costing public safety.