Three years after 13-year-old Hailey Perkins was fatally shot in her Pueblo West bedroom, her mother is still fighting for justice.
Hailey was found dead by her brother on June 27, 2022—just one day before her 14th birthday.
On July 19, her mother, Tanya Perkins, held a balloon release and a remembrance float to honor her daughter’s memory.
Though Hailey was shy around strangers, Tanya described her as a “goofball” who embraced everyone regardless of popularity or background. “She didn’t care if you were popular, smart, a fighter, or a cheerleader—she got along with everyone,” Tanya previously told the Chieftain.
Family Still Waiting for Answers
Tanya voiced frustration about the slow progress of the investigation and doubts about the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
“We’re trying to get the word out that we’re still waiting for answers,” she said in a recent interview.
Tanya said detectives told her that DNA samples had to be sent to a second lab after the first one failed to process them.
“They’ve said results are coming any day now—but that’s what I heard two years ago. At this point, I have little faith,” she said. “It’s been three years. That alone feels like an injustice.”
Tanya referred to the impact of former Colorado Bureau of Investigations analyst Yvonne “Missy” Woods, who was charged in January 2024 with 102 counts tied to tampering in over 600 cases between 2008 and 2023.
The CBI confirmed that its Forensic Services Section is dealing with a severe backlog in DNA testing as a result of the Woods investigation.
Tanya said she knows four or five boys were in Hailey’s room the night of the shooting, but no arrests have been made.
“They have the two boys who were in the room with Hailey when she was shot. There’s DNA under her nails, fingerprints on a broken wine bottle in the neighbor’s driveway, and yet there’s still no proof. The boys are just pointing fingers—‘He did it.’ ‘No, he did it,’” she said.
“My thoughts always go back to that night—how scared she must have been. She should have been safe. It was her own bedroom. I just want to remember her happy,” Tanya said.
Closure, she added, could help her begin to heal.
“I don’t feel like I should move on until someone is held accountable. It’s like I’m stuck in that night, replaying it over and over,” she said.
Tanya vowed to keep pushing for justice in Hailey’s name.
“I feel like people don’t stand up for others until it happens to them. I think about Kelsie Schelling’s mom—she fought so hard for answers with hardly any help from the community. We need more people to care.”
Kelsie Schelling disappeared in Pueblo in 2013. Years later, police arrested Donthe Lucas, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2021—despite Schelling’s body never being found.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation into Hailey’s death remains active but offered no further comment.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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