Teen homicide victim remembered as 'daring' and 'funny'

A friend of one of the victims of a double homicide told 11 News he spoke with Derek Greer just days before Derek's body was found on the side of the road.

"I was honestly devastated," said the young man, who wanted to remain anonymous. "I wanted to break out in tears, but like, ugh, I don't know ... It was hard to take. I was in shock."

The friend told 11 News Derek was daring, funny, sometimes serious, and a friend to all.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the deaths of 15-year-old Greer and 16-year-old Natalie Partida.

Both victims were students at Coronado High School. Greer was a freshman and Partida was a sophomore.

On Wednesday afternoon, Coronado High School principal Darin Smith released the following statement:

"This is the first time, I believe in the history of our office, that we've seen a double homicide that included juveniles," said Jackie Kirby with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. "This hits close to home. A lot of us have children, and we have children those ages and we hug them a little tighter when we go home at night."

Kirby says the sheriff's office is aggressively investigating the case after the two teens were killed and left on the side of a road. Outside of the identities of the two victims, very little information has been made public.

"We don't want to release details that would be totally specific to the crime because only the perpetrator would know that," said Kirby.

"[I'm] worried that they got wrapped up in something bad and were in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Derek's friend. "He was a great person, one of a kind, and he will be missed by everyone."

No information on a possible suspect has been released. If anyone has any information they're asked to call 719-390-5555.