17 Years Later: Missing Milbrook County Deputy’s Cruiser Found, Uncovering Decades-Long Corruption
Discovery leads to multi-state investigation, justice for fallen officer
Milbrook County, CO — Seventeen years after his disappearance, Deputy Thomas Brennan’s case was finally reopened in dramatic fashion when a local farmer uncovered the officer’s long-lost cruiser in a forgotten barn. The discovery has unraveled a web of corruption, bribery, and organized crime that had quietly plagued the county for decades.
In the fall of 2003, farmer Jake Morrison purchased the old Hartwell property in Milbrook County. While exploring the back storage shed, Morrison lifted a rotting canvas tarp to reveal a sheriff’s department cruiser. Its paint, though faded, still bore the words Milbrook County Sheriff’s Office, and inside sat a half-empty coffee mug, a clipboard, and a decaying sandwich wrapper.
Sheriff Patricia Reeves immediately recognized the vehicle. “This is Unit 247,” she said. “It belonged to Deputy Thomas Brennan. He vanished on duty in March 1986.” Brennan had been dispatched to a late-night domestic disturbance and never returned. Despite weeks of searching, neither he nor his cruiser had ever been found—until now.
Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered Brennan’s service belt, radio, and holstered pistol. His notebook, found under the seat, hinted at an investigation into county contracts and a shadowy figure identified only by the initials R.H.—Robert Hartwell, former county commissioner and previous property owner.
