(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A report from the El Paso County Coroner has revealed the cause of death for 30-year-old Ivan Maldonado, the man found dead in a pickup truck on I-25 in December.

Maldonado was found by responding officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) around 7 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022, after a report of a suspicious car on the shoulder of I-25 in the southbound lanes.

The report from the El Paso County Coroner reveals that Maldonado was found in the back of the truck cab under a pile of clothes, with his hands and feet bound by duct tape and zip ties, and gagged by duct tape. He had suffered blunt force injuries, the report states, and his cause of death was determined to be smothering in the setting of heroin toxicity.

  • Suspicious death investigation on I-25 near MLK Bypass
    Courtesy: FOX21 Chief Photojournalist Mike Duran
  • Suspicious death investigation on I-25 near MLK Bypass
    Courtesy: FOX21 Chief Photojournalist Mike Duran
  • Suspicious death investigation on I-25 near MLK Bypass
    Courtesy: FOX21 Chief Photojournalist Mike Duran

Maldonado’s death is being investigated as a homicide, and the coroner’s report states that his injuries were consistent with murder.

The investigation into Maldonado’s death is ongoing, and CSPD said no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information or who is a witness to this investigation is asked to call CSPD at (719) 444-7000; or to remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.