Colorado park ranger gets 3 years probation in stabbing hoax

Lauren Penington, The Denver Post on Feb 23, 2026

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DENVER — The Colorado park ranger accused of stabbing himself in a hoax that sparked a large-scale manhunt at Staunton State Park last August took a deal and pleaded guilty Monday.

Callum Heskett pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and false reporting of an emergency, a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The plea deal dropped additional charges of attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and official misconduct from his case, according to Jefferson County court records.

Heskett was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay more than $16,000 in restitution, according to the district attorney’s office.

His misdemeanor conviction is permanent, but he was granted a deferred sentence on his felony charge, court records show. If he fulfills the terms of his probation, that charge will be removed from his record.

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