{"id":40069,"date":"2021-01-04T15:07:30","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T22:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/suspects-ex-wife-i-always-knew-hed-never-be-stopped-until-he-murdered-a-woman\/"},"modified":"2021-01-04T22:07:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T22:07:30","slug":"suspects-ex-wife-i-always-knew-hed-never-be-stopped-until-he-murdered-a-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/suspects-ex-wife-i-always-knew-hed-never-be-stopped-until-he-murdered-a-woman\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspect\u2019s ex-wife: \u2018I always knew he\u2019d never be stopped until he murdered a woman\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Rachel
Rachel Ream, an Ignacio resident,was found dead Jan. 1, 2021, at herhome. Damon Mathews was chargedwith first-degree murder for her death. (Courtesy of Ream family)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

An Ignacio man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife on New Year\u2019s Eve, one week after he was released from jail on $1,500 bail for a domestic violence charge against the same woman.<\/p>\n

Damon Lamont Mathews, 44, is suspected of first-degree murder. Authorities say he killed his wife, Rachel Phillips Mathews, 47, at her home in the 100 block of Romero Avenue in Ignacio.<\/p>\n

Family members have said Rachel was known by her maiden last name, Ream.<\/p>\n

Mathews fled the scene, taking Ream\u2019s car, and drove to the Denver-metro area, authorities say. Mathews was arrested New Year\u2019s Day after he was involved in a traffic incident and was being held Monday in the Jefferson County Detention Facility.<\/p>\n

\"Mathews\"
Mathews<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

According to an arrest affidavit, the Ignacio Police Department learned of the killing Jan. 1 and went to Ream\u2019s home and found her dead. The Ignacio Police Department then requested the assistance of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.<\/p>\n

Once at the scene, investigators found Ream in a separate building on the property with trauma to the head.<\/p>\n

When contacted by law enforcement in Jefferson County about the traffic incident, Mathews admitted to killing his wife, saying he wanted to talk to investigators, according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n

Mathews told investigators that despite a protection order against him, he was living in the back house at Ream\u2019s home. The two were celebrating New Year\u2019s Eve together when they started to fight, Mathews told police.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamon said he knew if the police came, he would go to jail again because of the protection order and because he was on bond for the previous domestic violence with Rachel,\u201d the investigating officer wrote.<\/p>\n

Mathews said he then started to strangle Ream. He then went into the main house, took Ream\u2019s car keys and money, got a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and shot Ream one time in the head, Mathews told police.<\/p>\n

Mathews said he then drove to Grand Junction and to the Denver area. He told police he took methamphetamine on arriving in Denver. After a car tire blew out, he called 911 and told officers he believed there was a warrant for his arrest for murder.<\/p>\n

Mathews was familiar to police, court records show: He had been arrested twice before on domestic violence charges against Ream.<\/p>\n

According to court records, Mathews was arrested Nov. 24 for third-degree assault and domestic violence against Ream.<\/p>\n

Officers arrived at Mercy Regional Medical Center around 3:30 p.m. that day after Ream went to the hospital after being \u201cbattered by her husband,\u201d earlier in the day.<\/p>\n

Ream had multiple injuries, including a gash above her left eye that was bleeding, as well as bruises and swelling on her body. Ream told officers Mathews had also assaulted her a second time a few days before.<\/p>\n

\u201cRachel stated she was in fear of Damon, and was afraid of what he may do if she reported the incident to law enforcement,\u201d the investigating officer wrote.<\/p>\n

Mathews was waiting in a car outside Mercy. When questioned, he changed his story several times, court documents show. He was arrested and taken to the La Plata County Jail.<\/p>\n

At a court hearing the next day, Nov. 25, the 6th Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office asked that bail be set at $1,500, and District Judge Jeffrey Wilson agreed. The charges at the time were misdemeanors. But the charges were later increased to felony-level charges. The DA\u2019s Office did not request increasing the bail, and Magistrate Sarah Law transferred the $1,500 bail to Mathews\u2019 felony-level case.<\/p>\n

According to court records, before the Nov. 24 assault, Mathews had been convicted four times since 2003 on domestic violence-related crimes.<\/p>\n

District Attorney Christian Champagne did not answer a question about why his office did not move to increase Mathews\u2019 bond. In an emailed statement, Champagne said, \u201cOn Nov. 25, our bond request was $10,000, so we did seek a substantially higher bond setting at the onset of the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eric Hogue, administrator for the 6th Judicial District, refuted this, saying the DA\u2019s Office did not request to increase the bond.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 25, Mathews posted his $1,500 bail and was released from jail. He killed Ream six days later.<\/p>\n

His former wife, April Shawl, said in an interview with The Durango Herald<\/em> that Mathews was in prison in Nevada for domestic violence-related crimes from around 2003 to 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was so dangerous, he did the same things to me,\u201d Shawl said. \u201cI always knew he\u2019d never be stopped until he murdered a woman. It\u2019s haunted me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Issiah Harrison, Ream\u2019s son who now lives in Oklahoma, said the family started to get nervous New Year\u2019s Eve after their mom went missing.<\/p>\n

Harrison said Ream and Mathews knew each other for years, having moved to the Lower 48 states from Alaska around 2000.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew him when I was a little kid,\u201d Harrison, 25, said of Mathews. \u201cHe used to baby sit.\u201d<\/p>\n

While still married, Harrison said Ream and Mathews had become estranged in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one even thought she\u2019d get hurt,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s still a shock to everyone. She didn\u2019t deserve this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bernadette Dickinson, a close family friend, said Ream moved to the Allison area in southeastern La Plata County around 2000. She then moved to Ignacio and worked as a massage therapist, and raised her four children.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was one of the kindest, sweetest people on the planet,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cShe always gave everyone the last thing she had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ream\u2019s children are ages 12, 20 and 25. Her eldest son, in his 30s, is blind and disabled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis family has been through a lot,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cBut Rachel was an angel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dickinson said she last talked to Ream on the phone about two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t sound fine,\u201d she said. \u201cShe just wanted (her family) out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been started to help with Ream\u2019s funeral costs<\/a>, which can be viewed at https:\/\/bit.ly\/38fb86x<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mathews is now being held without bail. He is going to be transferred to the La Plata County Jail in the coming days, the CBI said.<\/p>\n

Mathews has a court hearing for the Nov. 24 domestic violence charges on Jan. 21. It\u2019s unclear when a court date for the first-degree murder charge will be set.<\/p>\n

jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

An earlier version of this story gave incorrect bail information related to Damon Mathews\u2019 November 2020 arrest for third-degree assault and domestic violence. Bail was set at $1,500 at the request of the 6th Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office for the misdemeanor case. The bail was transferred and never increased when the charges were refiled as felonies<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

Timeline of Rachel Ream\u2019s killing<\/h4>\n

Nov. 24:<\/strong>Damon Mathews was arrested for third-degree assault and domestic violence against his wife, Rachel Ream.<\/p>\n

Nov. 25:<\/strong>District Judge Jeffrey Wilson set Mathews\u2019 bond at $1,500, at the request of the District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

Dec. 10:<\/strong>Around this time, the District Attorney\u2019s Office started to move to elevate Mathews\u2019 misdemeanor charges to felonies.<\/p>\n

Dec. 21:<\/strong>Wilson granted a motion to elevate Mathews\u2019 charges to felonies, though his bail was not increased.<\/p>\n

Dec. 25:<\/strong>Mathews was released from the La Plata County Jail after he posted the $1,500 bail.<\/p>\n

Dec. 31:<\/strong>Mathews allegedly killed Ream, shooting her one time in the head, after an altercation on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n

Jan. 1:<\/strong>Mathews turned himself in after stealing Ream\u2019s car and traveling to the Denver-metro area.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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