Who is Charles Giebler? All about his involvement in Byron Griffy case as shown in The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder

In 2012, the murder of respected mortician Byron Griffy shocked residents and exposed hidden layers of trust and betrayal. Griffy, 76, was found shot in the head at his remote farmhouse near Fowler, his body staged with hands crossed on his chest as if prepared for burial. 

The case, featured in Investigation Discovery's three-part docuseries The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder, reveals tangled financial dealings, secret relationships, and a small community's unraveling. At the center is Charles Giebler, a prominent Florence businessman, former mayor, and pastor who co-owned a funeral home with suspect Anthony Wright. 

Giebler, who died in 2013 before charges could be filed, was alleged to have plotted Griffy's killing alongside Wright over disputed valuables Griffy had entrusted to them. Their close bond with Griffy masked deeper personal and monetary ties, including a hidden romantic partnership that stunned locals when revealed. 

The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder premiered on November 26, 2025, on Investigation Discovery. 

Charles Giebler is who?  Everything about his role in the Byron Griffy case

Charles Giebler was a key figure in Florence, Colorado, known for his public roles and business ventures before his alleged ties to a murder surfaced. Born around 1961, he moved to Florence in 1992 with Anthony Wright, whom he presented as a half-brother sharing the same mother. Together, they built a local empire, co-owning the Charles-Anthony Funeral Home, Mainstreet Grille and Bakery, and Smashing Good Guitars. 

Giebler served as Florence's mayor and worked as an ordained bishop, leading services at St. Jude the Apostle Parish, where Wright acted as a deacon. Their influence touched community life, from dining to funerals and governance, earning them respect as pillars of the town near the federal Supermax prison, as per 5280. Giebler's involvement in the Byron Griffy case stemmed from professional and personal links to the victim. 

Griffy, a fellow mortician, entrusted Giebler and Wright with valuables like coins and cash worth tens of thousands after his 2012 s*xual assault conviction and home break-ins. On October 12, 2012, the day Griffy was killed, Giebler and Wright visited the farmhouse to deliver an urn, but phone records and witness accounts placed them there around the time of the shooting. 

Prosecutors later claimed the pair killed Griffy together, motivated by disputes over the stored items, including a missing safe holding $50,000. No forced entry or struggle suggested Griffy knew his killer, pointing to trusted insiders like Giebler, as People reported. The investigation exposed Giebler and Wright's secret romantic relationship, hidden to maintain their image. 

Giebler died in January 2013 at age 52 from cardiomyopathy, before arrests, but reportedly confided to a Griffy family member that he anticipated charges, according to the Canon City Daily Record. This left his role unresolved, with searches of their funeral home recovering some but not all of Griffy's belongings. 

The murder of Byron Griffy

Byron Griffy lived a life centered on helping others through grief, but his death on October 12, 2012, turned his world upside down. The 76-year-old owned the Griffy Family Funeral Home in Fowler, Colorado, after training at the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in 1958. He was a family man with three daughters and grandchildren, though his family had moved out of the remote farmhouse earlier that year due to break-ins, including one where a noose was found in the barn. 

Griffy stored his coin and antique collections in hidden spots, fearing theft amid his legal troubles, as per E! News. That afternoon, Griffy planned a birthday lunch with Giebler and Wright, his business associates. His daughter Linette and her wife, Gina found his body later that evening in an empty bedroom. He had been shot once in the back of the head at close range, with no blood spatter or defensive wounds indicating a surprise attack by someone he trusted. 

His hands were crossed over his chest, staged to resemble a coffin pose, which investigators called unusual for a homicide. Cash remained on the property, ruling out a random robbery, according to People. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office arrived quickly, noting the lack of forced entry. Early theories included a botched burglary linked to Griffy's valuables, but focus shifted to his inner circle. 

Griffy had transferred a carload of items to Giebler and Wright months prior for safekeeping. This financial web, combined with phone logs showing the pair's unanswered calls to Griffy that day, raised red flags, as E! News reported. 

The investigation and emerging secrets

The probe into Griffy's death uncovered layers of deception among the suspects. Detectives zeroed in on Giebler and Wright due to their planned visit and access to the property. Searches at the Charles-Anthony Funeral Home revealed some of Griffy's coins but not the full amount, including the disputed safe. Financial records showed Griffy had invested in their businesses, creating potential motives for conflict after his conviction made him vulnerable to lawsuits, as per the Canon City Daily Record. 

As evidence mounted, the case exposed Giebler and Wright's hidden romance, long concealed under their brothers' story. Locals like Georgia Enslow expressed shock, feeling the whole town got duped. Interviews in the docuseries with family and officials detail how this revelation amplified betrayal. Giebler's pre-death admission about expecting arrest added weight, though his sudden illness halted further questioning, according to People.

Trial outcomes and lasting community echoes

Anthony Wright's 2015 trial accused him and the late Giebler of first-degree murder, but a hung jury led to a 2017 plea deal: guilty to accessory, earning 10 years' probation without prison. Prosecutors argued the duo's collaboration in the killing, tied to unreturned valuables, but lacked direct proof against Giebler. The lenient sentence drew criticism for perceived favoritism in a tight-knit area, as per KKTV.

The case rippled through Florence and Fowler, eroding trust in leaders once seen as family. Giebler's mayoral legacy and pastoral work contrasted sharply with the scandal, prompting reflections on hidden lives. The docuseries, through interviews with Griffy's daughters and locals, explores unresolved pain, like missing items and unanswered whys about Giebler's role, according to E! News.

Watch The Rocky Mountain Mortician Murder streaming on Investigation Discovery and Max.