Shraman Mitra
911 operators in Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, got an alarming call in the early morning hours of March 1, 1988, when a man staying at the Corsica Motel claimed to have gotten into a fight with an intruder. However, once first responders reached the crime scene, they found a gravely injured man who was later identified as Michael Allen.
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda: End of Days’ portrays how Michael later died in hospital, turning the case into a homicide investigation and following the subsequent police action as it brought the perpetrator to justice.
How Did Michael Allen Die?
A resident of Colorado Springs, Michael Allen was described as a lively individual who loved to party and have fun. However, people who knew him claimed that Michael was quite kindhearted and never shied away from helping people in need. Moreover, he also had a charming personality, which helped him make friends quicker than anyone else. Yet, Michael had no idea that his amicable nature would end up signing his death sentence one day.
On March 1, 1988, a person staying at the Corsica Motel called the Colorado Heights police to report a physical altercation. While the caller claimed that he was attacked by an intruder in his room, the police knew they had to check out the situation for themselves. Interestingly, once first responders reached the crime scene, they found a gravely injured man lying on the pavement outside one of the motel rooms.
It did not take long for the police to identify the victim as Michael Allen. Since he was still alive, detectives immediately shifted him to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Unfortunately, the injuries proved to be too serious, and Michael eventually passed away while still in the hospital. Later, an autopsy determined that the victim had bruises all over his body and was beaten to death.
Who Killed Michael Allen?
Interestingly, once law enforcement officials reached the crime scene, they noticed Ricky Lutz and his girlfriend, Charlene Krusemark, standing over Michael Allen’s body. When questioned, Ricky came forward as the man who called 911 and claimed that he was in his room with Charlene when Michael suddenly broke in and began attacking them. Quite naturally, Ricky claimed he fought back in self-defense, which ended up injuring the attacker.
Although there was nothing to suggest anything fishy, detectives decided to take Charlene aside and take a second statement. Surprisingly, her account of events turned out to be completely different, as she claimed that Ricky had stepped out of the room when Michael arrived and began abusing her. The difference in the accounts made detectives suspect foul play. Upon closer inspection, the room was found to contain blood splatters that matched the victim’s DNA. Thus, realizing something was amiss, authorities took the couple down to the station in order to question them further.
In the meantime, Michael Allen gradually succumbed to his injuries and passed away while in the hospital, turning the case into an investigation of homicide. When Ricky was informed of this development, he opted to get a lawyer and refused to answer further questions. However, through their investigation, authorities learned that Charlene worked as a dancer at a local nightclub while Ricky was employed as a bouncer at the same establishment.
Moreover, regulars at the nightclub mentioned that Ricky would often get angry if others got attracted to his girlfriend. However, since the bouncer lawyered up and refused to answer a single question, cops turned to Charlene, hoping she would help clear matters up. Ultimately, when informed of the murder investigation, Charlene came clean about the events of that night and mentioned that she and Ricky met Michael while on their way back from the nightclub.
Although Ricky invited Michael in for a drink, the show stated that the guest began making advances toward Charlene, which naturally angered her boyfriend. Eventually, Ricky’s anger got the better of him, and he jumped on Michael before injuring him gravely with his fists. Thus, with a complete confession on their hands, the police were finally able to arrest Ricky for his involvement in the crime.
Ricky Lutz Leads a Quiet Life Today
When produced in court, Ricky Lutz pled not guilty but was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. As a result, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. On the other hand, Charlene was allowed to walk free and was never charged. While the show claimed that Ricky has since been released after serving his sentence, he prefers to keep away from the public sphere making his current whereabouts a mystery.
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