The former Staunton State Park ranger who falsely claimed he’d been stabbed at the park in August 2025, triggering a park evacuation, manhunt and lockdowns at nearby schools, pleaded guilty, according to the Jeffco district attorney.

Callum Heskett, 26, was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay at least $16,700 in restitution for prompting a large-scale law enforcement response and manhunt.

Heskett pleaded guilty to a felony of attempting to influence a public servant and a misdemeanor for false reporting of an emergency.

The parties agreed to a deferred judgment and sentence on the charge of attempting to influence a public servant, and a permanent conviction on the misdemeanor false reporting of an emergency.

The exact restitution amount Heskett will pay is set to be finalized within 21 days to account for costs incurred by all the agencies that assisted.

Heskett was well educated, particularly in criminology and emergency medicine. He had worked as an emergency medical technician and a neuroscience research scientist, according to his LinkedIn profile. He graduated in 2024 from Regis University with a master’s degree in criminology, specializing in cybercrime and terrorism.

Extensive manhunt

Heskett was working as a seasonal park ranger at Staunton on Aug. 19, 2025 when he radioed for assistance, claiming he’d been attacked and stabbed. He said the alleged assailant had fled on foot and gave a detailed description of the suspect.

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