The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of authorities in California, have made an arrest in connection to the shooting death of Matthew Schoshke, which occurred earlier this month in Ottawa County.
On Saturday, August 12, Schoshke’s body was discovered by a family member in his Tescott home. Schoshke’s Ford F-150 pickup truck was also stolen from the scene and had been sought since that time. The vehicle was seen the following week traveling west on I-70 in Colorado.
According to a news release from the KBI today, authorities attempted various investigative methods to locate the missing truck and on Tuesday, August 22nd, information was received which led them to believe the victim’s truck may have been located in the city of Los Angeles, California.
KBI agents and Ottawa County Sheriff Keith Coleman traveled to California. They collected evidence from the abandoned truck and were also able to identify a suspect. On Friday evening, August 25, a warrant of first degree murder was issued for the arrest of 34-year-old Robert Colson of Bucksport, Maine.
KBI agents, Sheriff Coleman, and LAPD homicide detectives were working to locate Colson. Prior to identifying his location, he was involved in an incident at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 25th in Martinez, California. During the incident he allegedly stabbed a person while aboard an Amtrak train. Colson was attempting to escape from the train when he was injured. He was then transported to a regional hospital for medical treatment. The Ottawa County Attorney will pursue extradition efforts following Colson’s release from the hospital.
Many agencies assisted the KBI in this multi-jurisdictional investigation and arrest. They include: the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the Los Angeles California Police Department, the Martinez California Police Department, the Amtrak Police Department, the Contra Costa County California District Attorney’s Office, the Walnut Creek California Police Department, the FBI, the Secret Service, the U.S. Marshall’s Service, the Fort Collins Colorado Police Department, the Larimer County Colorado Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
This investigation is ongoing. The Ottawa County Attorney’s Office is expected to prosecute the case, according to the release.
