Jefferson County Sheriff”s Office deputies and officers from other agencies searching for the alleged attacker of Callum Heskett at Staunton State Park in Colorado on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025 (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office).
A Colorado park ranger said he was attacked in a violent stabbing, leading to a massive law enforcement response that forced the closure of the park and nearby schools — but authorities say the report was an “elaborate hoax” that has now earned the man felony charges.
Callum Heskett, 26, is charged with attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, falsely reporting to authorities, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and second-degree official misconduct.
It all started at around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when Heskett — a Colorado Parks and Wildlife seasonal ranger at Staunton State Park — radioed for help, “claiming he had been attacked and stabbed,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. He reportedly said his attacker ran away afterward, describing him as a white man standing 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds, and wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans.
Heskett was airlifted to a nearby hospital while an extensive search was conducted. The park was closed and evacuated later that day, nearby schools and citizens were put on lockdown, and 8,600 residents were sent a “Lookout Alert” for the suspect.
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Additionally, the sheriff’s office’s SWAT team was deployed, drone teams were activated, and the Colorado State Patrol’s Aircraft Unit assisted in the search, which lasted several hours. “During that time, two people of interest were detained, interviewed, and determined to have no involvement,” Jefferson County authorities said.
The shelter-in-place order “for the immediate area of Staunton State Park” was lifted later that day as authorities said they had “reason to believe this was a targeted attack,” but fears persisted. The sheriff’s office wrote on social media on Wednesday, “We understand that news of the stabbing at Staunton State Park has caused fear and concern in our community.”
“Please know that our investigators are working diligently on this case, and based on everything we know at this time, this was a targeted incident. We are confident there is no ongoing threat to the public,” they reiterated. And at some point during the investigation, authorities became suspicious.
“As the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in Heskett’s statements emerged,” the sheriff’s office said. “That, along with other conflicting and questionable evidence, further raised concerns about the validity of his allegations. After investigators conducted their first interview with Heskett, it became even more clear that his story was flawed and erroneous.”
Heskett told the first deputy who responded to his radio call that he had approached a man hunched over near a tree, only for the man to charge him and yell “F– the police,” leading to a fight on the ground, where Heskett was stabbed with his own pocket knife, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by local CBS affiliate KCNC. The park ranger also said he was hit on the back of the head.
However, no such injury to the back of Heskett’s head was found, and furthermore, once the responding deputy’s body camera footage was viewed, authorities found no dirt or grass on Heskett’s uniform. The footage also reportedly showed Heskett texting with one hand while holding the knife with the other, and recording videos with his cellphone.
When he was eventually asked for a DNA sample, Heskett allegedly told investigators his attacker was wearing a black latex glove – a detail he said he had forgotten because of the painkillers he had taken. Furthermore, when investigators searched Heskett’s iPhone, they are said to have found searches including “how deep are arteries in lower abdomen,” “arteries in abdomen map,” and “abdominal anatomy.”
Heskett had been stabbed, though. The only question was by whom. When the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced the “hoax” charges on social media, a user responded, “serious question — did he stab himself?”
“Yes,” the agency flatly replied.
Heskett’s bond was set at $10,000.
