Autopsy report says suspect in Colo. prison chief's death was taking anti-anxiety medication

July 23, 2013 at 5:15PM

DENVER — An autopsy on the man suspected of killing the Colorado prisons chief and a Denver pizza delivery driver found anti-anxiety medication in his system but no evidence of stronger drugs.

The examination report confirms that Evan Ebel, 28, died as a result of a gunshot to the forehead. Texas sheriff's deputies shot and killed him March 21 during a wild chase and shootout.

The report was obtained by The Denver Post (http://tinyurl.com/lrz9he6 ) Monday through an open-records request.

Authorities said Ebel was on the run after killing Colorado corrections director Tom Clements and pizza deliveryman Nathan Leon in March, three months after he was released from prison.

Ebel served eight years, much of it in solitary confinement. His parents have said he had behavioral problems since he was a child, and prison damaged him even more.

Previously released prison records show he was known as "Ebel Evil" behind bars and was a member of a white supremacist gang. He had a swastika tattooed on his stomach and the word "Hate" on his hands.

He was convicted of several crimes in Colorado dating to 2003, including assaulting a prison guard in 2008.

Ebel was released from prison four years earlier than he was supposed to be because of a paperwork error. The mistake prompted Gov. John Hickenlooper to order an audit of inmate sentencing records.

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