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Murder suspect reveals new details in stabbing death of Justin Haden: Affidavit
An arrest affidavit reveals new details in the murder of Justin Haden. The suspect, Gavin Roberts, was booked in the Travis County Jail on two charges, murder and tampering with human remains.
AUSTIN, Texas - The man charged with murder in the death of Justin Haden is now back in Austin after his arrest in Colorado.
Jail records show Gavin Roberts was booked in the Travis County Jail on Dec. 13 on two charges, murder and tampering with human remains.
Haden, 34, was last seen alive at his apartment complex in The Domain just after midnight on Nov. 1.
In a police interview, Roberts initially claimed Haden told him he was planning to travel to Las Vegas, but he told officers he didn't know where to find him.
After his arrest, in a second interview, police say he admitted to stabbing Haden, and told them where to find his body.
Gavin Roberts was booked in the Travis County Jail on two charges in connection to Justin Haden, murder and tampering with human remains.
Investigators say Roberts' story changed when he was confronted with security camera video from Haden's apartment and two stores.
According to an arrest affidavit, the video showed Haden and Roberts returning to Haden's apartment complex together on Halloween, and Roberts leaving the next day struggling to drag a large, blue plastic bin with a suitcase on top of it.
Police say Roberts appeared to be trying to hide his identity with his hooded sweatshirt, latex gloves, and a face mask, and he was deliberately looking down to avoid the camera.
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Body found in WilCo may be missing Austin man Justin Haden: APD
On Nov. 23, US Marshals arrested Gavin Roberts, 26, who was wanted by the Austin Police Department (APD) for tampering with physical evidence of a human corpse.
The affidavit says Roberts was also caught on video arriving at a hardware store and buying items including a spade-type garden shovel with the plastic bin inside his trunk.
From there, security cameras show him buying something to eat at a fast food restaurant.
Police also showed Roberts cell phone records that showed the location where he powered down his phone.
According to the affidavit, Roberts thought about the evidence and then said, "Give me the map!" and circled an area between the restaurant and the cell phone tower on Ronald Reagan Blvd. where he said he buried Haden's body. Investigators found Haden's body the next day.
Justin Haden (Austin Police Department)
When police asked Roberts what happened, Roberts told police he and Haden got into an argument during which Haden grabbed a kitchen knife. Roberts says he took the knife from Haden and stabbed him in the neck, the affidavit says.
Roberts told police Haden came at him again, and he stabbed him again in the chest to make sure he stayed down.
After that, Roberts told police Haden ran to get a cast iron skillet to defend himself, but he took it from him and hit him several times with it.
The affidavit notes there was no significant amount of blood found between the bedroom, where he claims he stabbed Haden, and the kitchen, where the skillet was located, so it's improbable that Haden left the bedroom after he had been stabbed.
Roberts told police he went to a coffee shop after he killed Haden and then decided to clean up and load his body in his car, the affidavit says.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Body found in WilCo is missing Austin man Justin Haden: APD
- Police asking for help identifying person of interest in missing persons case
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US Marshals arrest man in Colorado in connection to missing Austin man
On Nov. 23, US Marshals arrested Gavin Roberts, 26, who was wanted by the Austin Police Department (APD) for tampering with physical evidence of a human corpse.
APD has received backlash over their investigation in this case.
According to court documents, the same day Haden went missing, police received a 911 call from one of Haden's neighbors claiming there was a man in the hallway screaming "oh my God."
Police responded to the call but did not find the person involved in the disturbance.
Court documents also show police performed a welfare check on Haden's apartment on Nov. 4 after a family member called because they were concerned. The officer found no one in the unit but noted what they believed to be a "wine stain" next to the bed before leaving.
On Nov. 9, a private investigator, hired by Haden's family, entered Haden's apartment. After pulling back the bedsheets, he discovered what appeared to be blood.
The next day, APD executed a search warrant and found a large quantity of blood saturated through the mattress and sheets.
On Nov. 30, APD released this statement: "On November 1, 2022, Austin Police Department (APD) officers received a check welfare call to the 3000 block of Esperanza Crossing. We are aware of the incident and the allegations made regarding the police response. We are looking into this at this time."
APD conducted an investigation and immediately requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force-Austin Division to find and arrest Roberts, who had fled the Austin area.
The LSFTF initiated a fugitive investigation and learned Roberts had traveled to Thornton, Colorado. Roberts was taken into custody outside of a home in the 9500 block of Pecos Street on Nov. 23.
He was brought back to the Travis County Jail and charged with murder and tampering with evidence on Dec. 13.