Colorado Escape: Six Hours Passed Before Official Alert

Byron Roth ran from a transport vehicle in Morgan County on October 16, and authorities say he was not handcuffed or restrained. The escape occurred when a car driven by staff from the Advantage Treatment Center in Sterling pulled over just outside Fort Morgan because Roth complained of feeling ill. He has not been seen since, according to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

The delay in notifying law enforcement created a gap of nearly six hours before an official alert went out. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office posted a warning on Facebook at approximately noon on the day of the escape. However, the Colorado State Patrol did not issue a formal law enforcement alert until after 4 p.m. that same day. The State Patrol reported that it was alerted to the escape more than an hour after it happened, when someone from the treatment center emailed them asking for a warrant. There is no record of anyone calling 911 immediately after Roth fled.

Local authorities in Logan, Morgan, and Weld counties stated they were unaware that a person in custody was being transported. Roth was being driven from Sterling in Logan County to Weld County, where he faces charges of aggravated robbery, felony menacing, and theft. The Weld County District Attorney’s Office said transporting individuals with warrants is solely the responsibility of sworn law enforcement officers, and they were not informed of the trip.

Stacey Hervey, a law enforcement expert and professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the timeline raised concerns. She noted that the missed opportunity to conduct a thorough search meant Roth could have been recaptured more quickly. Hervey questioned why the treatment facility did not notify law enforcement to assist with the transport, especially given Roth's criminal history.

An arrest affidavit in Weld County states that Roth stole shoes from a business in February and told an employee he had a gun when confronted. The document also describes Roth as known to carry weapons. Hervey said transporting someone with that profile requires extra precautions, which she did not believe the treatment center took.

The state’s Division of Criminal Justice is now involved in the matter. The agency has required the Advantage Treatment Center to conduct a review of the incident and its internal policies. The Division is also considering launching its own investigation. The center is partially funded by taxpayers, and the state agency said it can force the facility to take corrective action if necessary.

In an email, the Advantage Treatment Center described the event as a routine transport. A statement from the company said Roth was participating in a community corrections program when he escaped from the vehicle inside Morgan County. The company said it is hopeful he will be quickly apprehended and remanded to custody. It added that it is currently reviewing internal policies and procedures and will share the results with oversight agencies and local law enforcement.

When asked why law enforcement was not involved in the transport, the company declined to comment further beyond its initial email. The full statement confirmed the escape occurred on October 16, 2026, and noted that Roth will face charges for his conduct once caught.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office continues to lead the local search efforts. The lack of a 911 call in the immediate aftermath remains a point of focus for investigators reviewing the sequence of events. The Division of Criminal Justice will determine the next steps in its oversight of the facility.

Roth remains at large in the area. The official alert from the State Patrol, sent nearly six hours after the incident, marked the formal start of the broader law enforcement response. The review of the treatment center’s policies is ongoing as part of the state's intervention.