Authorities say a collision led to a pursuit that continued after a dispatcher told the couple to stop following a pickup.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A Highlands Ranch man faces a first-degree murder charge and his wife is accused of acting as an accessory after a driving dispute ended with the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old passenger, authorities said.
Steven Simpson, 25, and Corryn Simpson, 26, were arrested July 29 in connection with the death of Andrew Bott. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the encounter began July 25 near West Belleview Avenue and South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, then continued into Jefferson County as the Simpsons followed a blue Ford pickup.
The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Steven Simpson was denied bond during an initial court appearance. A judge set a $200,000 cash or surety bond for Corryn Simpson. Court records listed Aug. 5 as the next appearance for both defendants.
According to arrest affidavits and the sheriff’s office, Corryn Simpson called Littleton police at 10:28 p.m. to report that the pickup had struck the couple’s white BMW and left the scene. She told the dispatcher that she and her husband were following the truck.
The dispatcher instructed the couple to stop pursuing the pickup, authorities said. Investigators allege that the BMW continued behind the truck and that Steven Simpson made a threatening statement during the recorded call. The sound of two gunshots could be heard shortly afterward, the sheriff’s office said.
At 10:32 p.m., the pickup’s driver called another emergency dispatch center and reported that someone had chased the truck and fired into it. Bott, who was riding in the passenger seat, had been struck, according to investigators.
The dispatcher directed the pickup’s driver to the parking lot at Columbine High School, where deputies and emergency medical workers met the vehicle. Bott was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
The pickup’s driver told investigators that he and Bott had been traveling from a Denver bar before the confrontation. Accounts differ about how the vehicles collided. The Simpsons reported that the pickup struck their BMW, while the pickup’s driver told investigators that a white sport utility vehicle hit the truck before moving alongside its passenger side.
According to the pickup driver’s statement in the affidavit, Bott warned that a person in the other vehicle had a gun. The driver said he then heard gunfire and saw Bott collapse. Investigators reported finding two spent 9 mm cartridge cases near West Dorado Avenue and Grant Ranch Boulevard.
Authorities allege that Steven and Corryn Simpson later told investigators they stopped following the pickup after the dispatcher’s warning and drove home. Steven Simpson also denied knowing that a gun had been involved, according to the affidavit.
Investigators obtained a warrant to search the couple’s Highlands Ranch home. The affidavit said officers found several firearms, including 9 mm handguns, as well as ammunition and a gun holster. A live cartridge recovered at the home was described as the same type of ammunition as the spent cases found near the shooting scene.
The firearms were test-fired and submitted to the Jefferson County Regional Crime Lab for comparison, according to the affidavit. Results of that testing had not been released as of Saturday.
The sheriff’s office said Steven Simpson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. Corryn Simpson was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime. Authorities have not alleged that she fired a weapon.
Investigators said they had found no known prior relationship between the occupants of the BMW and the people in the pickup. The case remains pending in court, and no plea or trial date had been announced.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 1, 2026.