Monroe County Sheriff: Gunman in Beallsville Death Shot Deputy, Killed Himself in Colorado

Monroe County Sheriff Charles Black recently announced that, with help from Colorado law enforcement, the gunman in a May 18 Beallsville homicide has been identified.

Black said Tristan Ensinger has been identified as the person who shot and killed 39-year-old Timothy Frame, who was found dead inside a Varner Ridge Road home. Published reports indicated he suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office was contacted by the coroner's office in Lincoln County, Colorado, asking for deputies to perform a death notification on Ensinger, who had committed suicide after shooting a Lincoln County sheriff's deputy while committing a theft from a tractor-trailer.

Monroe County detectives talked with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office about Ensinger, whose family owned property close to where Frame was killed. Monroe County also was looking for an unknown man seen near Varner Ridge before Frame was killed.

Lincoln County deputies said they had found evidence that matched some evidence at the scene of Frame's death.

Two Monroe County detectives flew to Douglas County Colorado to continue investigating the connection between Ensinger and the Frame homicide. While in Colorado, the detectives provided a photo lineup to witnesses who had seen the unknown man near the murder scene. Those witnesses identified that man as Ensinger.

A search warrant was executed on Ensinger's vehicle, and the Monroe County detectives found evidence that put Ensinger at the Varner Ridge Road home and indicated that Ensinger was the gunman.

Black stated in a Facebook post that Ensinger's motive remains unknown, and the investigation continues.

"We are hopeful that these items may provide more answers in the near future," he posted. "Information we received during the investigation stated that Tristin was suffering from a mental illness and drug abuse which usually goes hand (in) hand."