Ex-Olympic hopeful allegedly stabbed Uber driver, dumped his body because she felt ‘cooped up’
Khayla Dawson, 27, is accused of stabbing 38-year-old Jeremy Campbell in the neck before stealing his car and wallet Sunday, according to cops. El Paso County Sheriffâs Office
A Colorado athlete who once competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic shot put team has been accused of stabbing her Uber driver to death and abandoning his body in a field, allegedly because she felt “cooped up” and wanted to go for a “joy ride,” authorities said.
Khayla Dawson, 27, who competed at the USA Olympic Trials last year, is facing charges after allegedly plunging a butcher knife into 38-year-old rideshare driver Jeremy Campbell’s neck and stealing his car and wallet on Sunday, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Dawson, a former college track and field standout from Colorado Springs, was identified as the last person to ride with Campbell around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, after his father reported him missing the following day. Initially, Dawson told police she had requested the Uber to visit a friend, but she later changed her story.
According to the arrest report, Dawson told police she “felt cooped up” and wanted to get out of the house for a “joy ride” and some fresh air. She later claimed she fell asleep in the back of the car and woke up to find Campbell allegedly attempting to touch her. Dawson said Campbell pulled a knife, prompting her to use a knife she had brought with her, according to authorities.
She allegedly left Campbell’s body near a hiking trail in Eastonville and drove his car back to her apartment. Deputies tracked the driver’s phone to the Polaris Junction apartments, where Dawson lives.
When police searched her apartment, they reportedly found a large knife missing from her butcher block and Campbell’s wallet hidden inside a lunch box on a kitchen cabinet, the report says. Dawson has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, second-degree motor vehicle theft, and tampering with physical evidence.
Dawson competed at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, where she placed 22nd overall with a distance of 16.86 meters and did not make the U.S. team, according to the Colorado chapter of USA Track & Field.
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