Colorado Springs man killed after drug deal collapses in Mississippi

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A Colorado Springs man was recently the victim of a murder, but not in Colorado.

Authorities in Mississippi are working the case of 23-year-old Elias Trudell, who was shot and left in a burning car in Luxapalila Park; south of Columbus, Mississippi.

The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office says it all stems from a drug deal gone bad.

On September 2, authorities were called to the scene of a burning car in a deserted park. To their surprise, inside was the body of a Colorado Springs man, Elias Trudell.

According to the sheriff's office, Trudell and Malachi Salus drove from Colorado Springs to Columbus, Mississippi, to transport drugs.

Investigators say the couple then hatched a plan to rip off one of the people they met.

Trudell's family says they have no idea why he went to Mississippi. “My cousin just told me it was an easy way to get money and that's all he told me. He never mentioned anything about drugs,” Micaela Pritchard said.

Things didn't go as planned and Trudell was shot before being put in a car and set on fire.

His family tells KRDO13 that he was a good person at heart but was in the wrong group: “No one deserves to die so cruelly…You didn't even give us the chance for him to be properly buried and he” It was ash, that’s not right,” Pritchard said.

The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office has made seven arrests in connection with Trudell's death.

They are Malachi Salus (22), Jaleen Young (24) and Kenneth Jones (20), Issac Harris (19), Treveon Little (23), Makye Butler (19) and David Hall (25).

The charges they face range from conspiracy to traffic controlled substances to aiding and abetting murder.