A tragic incident involving an Olympic hopeful from Colorado has emerged, where the athlete is accused of fatally stabbing an Uber driver before abandoning his body in a field and fleeing with his vehicle. The suspect, Khayla Dawson, later claimed she acted in self-defense, alleging that the driver attempted to assault her.

Khayla Dawson, 27, from Colorado Springs, found herself in a dire situation after what she described as a late-night “joy ride” turned into a nightmare. According to an arrest affidavit from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Dawson requested an Uber ride with 38-year-old Jeremy Campbell. The affidavit, which has been reviewed by Law&Crime, details the sequence of events that led to the fatal encounter.

Dawson, known for her participation in the 2024 USA Olympic Trials in Oregon as a shot put competitor, recounted to authorities that she dozed off during the ride in Campbell’s 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. She claimed to have awoken to an alleged attempt by Campbell to “sexually assault her,” prompting her to defend herself by stabbing him. This account was reported by local news outlet KRDO.

The affidavit reveals Dawson’s initial explanation to police, stating she ordered the Uber because she lacked personal transportation and felt a need to “get out of the house.” Her intention was simply to get some fresh air, although she initially told officers she planned to visit a friend.

Describing the alleged assault, Dawson told police that she woke to find the driver reaching back to touch her. In response, she reportedly brandished a knife and, during the ensuing struggle, stabbed Campbell in the neck. The altercation escalated, leading the car to crash through a barbed wire fence and come to a halt in a field occupied by horses.

Following this dramatic sequence, authorities allege that Dawson exited the vehicle, dragged Campbell’s body from the car, and then drove the Hyundai back to her apartment. The investigation continues as law enforcement seeks to piece together the events of that fateful night.

Authorities were able to track down Campbell’s vehicle after his father reported him missing; his out-of-state girlfriend provided the location of where his phone was last seen on Snapchat maps at an apartment complex where Dawson lives, according to the affidavit. The Hyundai was found in the parking lot.

“[Deputies] advised there was blood spatter on the front passenger window, on the front passenger seat, on the dashboard, the center console, the driver’s seat, and steering wheel,” the affidavit says. “There was also a large puddle of blood on the floor directly behind the driver’s seat. Outside the driver door was a small puddle of blood possibly mixed with saliva.”

Authorities found Campbell’s phone at the bottom of a stairwell and were able to see who his riders were on Sunday night. Dawson allegedly showed up as his last pickup and was found to be living at the apartment complex where Campbell’s car was found in Colorado Springs.

Deputies went to Dawson’s apartment and questioned her about what happened, with the Olympic hopeful providing her account of the “attempted sexual assault,” the affidavit says. A search warrant was executed for Dawson’s residence and Campbell’s key fob to his Hyundai was found inside a box of dryer sheets, along with his wallet and Colorado driver’s license.

“There was a butcher block of knives on the kitchen counter with all but one of the knives accounted for,” the affidavit alleges. “The largest butcher knife in the set of chrome-handled knives was missing from the block and was not located inside the apartment. In the living room was an approximate 18″ blade machete-type knife, hidden behind a cabinet.”

Dawson told police where the stabbing unfolded and Campbell’s body was found Monday around 11:30 a.m., according to the affidavit. “A bloody butcher knife with a chrome handle, matching the knives from Khayla’s kitchen butcher block, and a folding knife were located in the field near the body as well as the other black Nike tennis shoe and two of Khayla’s credit cards and a sock,” the affidavit says.

Campbell was allegedly stabbed in the back of the head, the back of the right shoulder, the right side of his face, the “underside” of his chin, in his neck, and his hands. Dawson did not have any puncture wounds, but was treated for a “broken knee bone,” according to police.

The Colorado Springs shot putter was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and motor vehicle theft. KRDO reports that she is a former athlete with the Colorado Chapter of the USA Track & Field team, with online records showing that she placed 22nd overall at the 2024 Olympic trials with a distance of 16.86m.

Dawson was being held this week without bond at the El Paso County Jail and is due to make her first court appearance on Nov. 6.