Terance Wilson says he didn't sucker punch Nathan Engle to death, despite his broken hand

Categories: Colorado Crimes

terance wilson mug shot cropped.JPG
Big pic below.
Update: Nathan Engle's parents say he was sucker punched while standing at a food cart this weekend, causing him to whack his head on the pavement and die. The Larimer County coroner has ruled the death a homicide, and Terance Wilson remains in jail after his arrest following the incident. But Wilson insists that he didn't kill Engle -- even though he's got a broken hand.

According to reports, Engle, the 24-year-old father of three kids five and under, was out on the town with friends -- and after emerging from a popular Fort Collins venue called the Drunken Monkey, the group stopped at a food cart. Engle's dad says his son was taking a bite of a sandwich when someone slugged him in the back of the head, causing him to immediately lose consciousness and fall backward onto the sidewalk. He was still alive when emergency personnel arrived, but he didn't survive long, succumbing to what the Larimer County coroner's office describes as cerebral edema and intracranial hemorrhage due to blunt-force head injury.

Engle's buddies reportedly grabbed Wilson immediately after the fatal blow and held him until cops arrived. He was soon booked on suspicion of second-degree assault. However, he has yet to be charged with a more serious crime, and he professed his innocence in a 9News interview. Wilson insists that he was leaving a club when he got caught up in the melee.

"The group of people this dude was running with were the instigators of everything, so I have no idea what happened," he says. He maintains that he was serving as the designated driver for four folks at a bar when the incident took place, adding, "I don't know who Nathan is. I don't know who Nathan's group is. All I know is there (were) three altercations that evening."

What about that broken hand? Wilson won't say how he injured it. Meanwhile, there are reports that he and Engle did know each other, way back in middle school. And as pointed out by the Fort Collins Coloradoan, neither boast clean police records. Engle wound up with an assault charge in 2008, and Wilson's been charged with assault five time, parole violations three times, resisting arrest two times, and kidnapping and escape once apiece since 2003.

Look below for the latest 9News report, followed by our previous coverage, which includes a full-size mug shot of Wilson.


Original item, 9:17 a.m. June 8: When does a punch become a homicide? According to the Larimer County coroner, the death of Nathan Engle, a 24-year-old father of three young children, offers a perfect example.

Terance Wilson, also 24, was initially arrested for assault. But following Engle's death and the coroner's ruling, that charge will presumably change, and soon.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports that Engle and some buddies had been enjoying a night out in Old Town. Around 1:40 a.m. Saturday, shortly after leaving a popular nightspot called the Drunken Monkey, they headed to a mobile gyro stand. At that point, witnesses claim that another group approached, with one man punching Engle in the back of the head.

The blow was apparently so fierce that Engle immediately lost consciousness. He fell backward, hitting his head on the pavement.

Members of Engle's party promptly grabbed the alleged striker, Wilson, and held him until police arrived. Engle was transported to an area hospital, while Wilson was booked on suspicion of second-degree assault. However, Engle died later that day, prompting the autopsy that resulted in the homicide determination.

nathan engle and child 9news.JPG
9News
Nathan Engle and one of the kids who'll now grow up without a father.
Engle was a great dad, his folks told 9News. His kids are five, three and two.

Below, find a larger look at Wilson's mug shot, as well as an interactive graphic near the scene of the incident. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

Wilson, Terance.jpg
Terance Wilson.


View Larger Map

More from our Colorado Crimes archive: "Simon Salinas: Gangsta gets 36 years for beating woman, ordering another attack on her from jail."

My Voice Nation Help
44 comments
Zachary Ari
Zachary Ari

I love you Nathan. You will not be forgotten. Neither will Terance.

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Lasvegascope
Lasvegascope

Nate was my nephew, and now i can say i didn't even get a chance to get to know him! Fuck the nigger , kill his ass with the death penalty!

JB
JB

no "hate crime" charge?

Thankful2stillbehere
Thankful2stillbehere

I was recently Sucker Punched last Saturday by a coward. He hit me when I was sitting in a chair on his porch I was thankfully not knocked out and was able to block most of the 15 to 20 punches that followed. I feel lucky to be alive. ONLY A COWARD Sucke punches anyone. Still have headaches and dizziness almost a week later

Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts

We're glad you're still here, too. That's a helluva story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Karagon_1993
Karagon_1993

Natee was a good guuy he didnt deservee to pass away like he did. Becauuse of tht douche bag tht killed hom..nates kids no longer have a daddy. Tht guuy had absouluutly NOO REASON to do what he did to him. We all love & miss youu Natee. R.I.P

Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts

Sorry for your loss, Karagon. Our condolences.

Ohle
Ohle

Nate's friends and family appreciate your kind posts, thank you!

Nichole Engle Nixon Newlin
Nichole Engle Nixon Newlin

What i dont like is that you guys are judging my brother ( Nathan ) and you most likly NEVER knew him. He thought gangs was or were dumb. The tax payers never supported his kids. He choose to stay home with his kids for a reason. He didnt do a damn thing to this Terance person. Just minding his own like he has always done. He was a loving and VERY caring father person lover brother son etc... Look at yourselfs before you judge someone else. He wouldnt judge you if you have chose to do something childish or dumb so stop judging him PLEASE.

Kangavg
Kangavg

What the hell was Wilson doing on the streets with that kind of criminal record anyway ? This country is so fucked up.

Ohle
Ohle

Nate's friends and family appreciate your kind posts, thank you!! We are asking this very same question... Such a tragedy!

truthforlife
truthforlife

get over this pitty party. i do feel bad he died but this boy was far from this innocent kid they put him out to be in the media,i grew up with terance and all these bitches getting on here trying to act hard is a joke.open those tiny minds of yours and see  this for what it really was a boy running his mouth and it caught up with him. 

Yippiee
Yippiee

Another stupid nigger

Kp073108
Kp073108

N like a said I ain't sayin terance has been the nicest n there's no excuses but regardless shit does happen n it is a sad situation no one should die like that but no one should deserve prison over a punch that could have Been n e one who ever been hit ire who have hit someone....terance is always a good man he's really smart n has so much potential n he was working to better himself.....going to collage he wants ti be a somebody he was sure of wat he wants to b....n this is commin from someone that knows him n we haven't even talked because if a fall out but I kno he still a good hearted person

Ohle
Ohle

You are right, he doesn't deserve prison over that sensless punch, he deserves death! I attempted to read through your very broken, illegible post, and from what I gather, you knew Wilson before the two of you had a falling out, hopefully because you don't participate in his type of activities and want more for your own life... Getting into three fights that very same night he killed my cousin, was NOT a person trying to better himself. It was a cowardice thug, acting out because our laws aren't strict enough to have put him away for good, for the VERY long list of criminal activities he was previously involved! I think he has made it very clear what he wants to be! I will also comment to your first post about "just a punch" I repeat! MOST PEOPLE DON'T GO AROUND PUNCHING PEOPLE!!! So... If in fact someone out there is/has punched someone and they died, they should get the switch as well! Contributing citizens can't even fathom this idiotic behavior!

Nikkienew
Nikkienew

Terance has and alway will be an asshole

truthforlife
truthforlife

engle was a punk trying to start shit with people and could'nt back it up. and all this pitty for this fool is a joke, just like these statements his family puts out of terance. moral of this is dont start shit you cant back up. ''lots of smiles''   

Katey Godsey
Katey Godsey

how the hell can you people be so insensitive. lots of people have punched somebody, but if it had been your friend that died you would be pissed too. and really, how immature are you to talk crap about a dead guy and his kids??? don't you have anything better to do than cause mour pain for everyone mourning the loss of a friend. grow up

Guest
Guest

There's a really simple way to tackle the problem of gang violence: street gangs that engage in violence, murder, and drug trafficking, along with the intimidation of their fellow citizens should be classified as terrorist organizations, which is what they are, and every one of their members enemy combatants. This way we wouldnt have to screw around with trials and legal procedures and all the rest. it's pointless. The miliatry can simply go after them, rendition them to black site prisons and a year in an Egyptian or Iraqi prison will make Pelican Bay look like Camp Cupcake. I guarantee you the threat of a Navy Seal team coming after you will cut down on this crap immediately. We then ship the ones who are clogging our prison system to Gitmo or build a supermax just for these people. You just watch their numbers fall off in a single year.

ApathyKills
ApathyKills

Brilliant idea. While we're at it, let's suspend all God-given rights of any citizens we deem a threat to our society and agenda. That way we can just kill them or throw them in prisons that violate international law instead of upholding the constitution of The United States of America. Its an outdated, idealistic document anyway. We need to really stop caring about our populace and threaten violent, indifferent hate if we're going to guide this nation in to a more positive position.

Guest
Guest

Get a clue, would you? I'm about as liberal as they get, but you're talking about a group of sociopaths's with ZERO regard for human life who are a plague on every neighborhood they inhabit, kill innocent civilians left and right, and then when they are locked up, continue their activities from jail and are a cancer on the rest of the prison population. Don't be stupid. I'm in no way saying we do that to people that protest the political agenda or question bureacracy or authority but this is not even remotely the same thing. You're are talking about an extremely violent and well armed group of thugs who prey on others for either profit or the sheer thrill of it. Big difference moron. If you reclassified this group it would allow us to quickly eradicate this problem which seems to be growing worse year by year. We've tried pumping money into neighborhoods where gangs thrive to educate kids and keep them clear of it but nothing works. I say fuck them. If you choose to empathize with remorseless, heartless, killers, then it's really you that has the problem here.

ApathyKills
ApathyKills

I categorically disagree with you that this is the solution. I think this would basically be a national gang war that you're proposing... "These people are hurting us, so let's all get together, have a show of force and show them that we won't be victims by scaring the shit out of them." This is how gangs start... from fear.

I totally agree that the prison system is broken and a large number of these violent offenders come out meaner, more violent, and better trained criminals. I've had firsthand experience with this. I don't have a simple sweeping answer for how to fix that. Police squads with mandates and special skill sets are needed to get these criminals off the streets and we can't just wait until law abiding citizens are killed to act. The FBI has many task forces for that, just not in Northern Colorado to my knowledge.

To your point of me not understanding my country I would tell you that our country's founders knew from their experience that it was a slippery slope to deny some people rights and classify certain groups as not worthy of them, which is why they gave them to everyone for better or worse.

Guest
Guest

The real question is not what Americans would think of another country that did this to their citizens it's what would American's think if we did this to our own. Answer is most would agree with it. Yes, the ACLU and the bleeding hearts would take a fit and argue that civil rights are being violated like they do when we use enhanced interrogations against Islamic militants, but most people with common sense realize that these people don't deserve our compassion and have forfeited their rights as citizens once they start habitually engaging in this behavior, follow a policy of destruction, and regard their fellow's as prey. The answer from the majority of law abiding people would be screw them. No one will line up to protect gun toting, gang banging, drug dealing thugs that we then have to support through lengthy incarcerations when they are caught and especially at a time when we have economic problems and then for them to continue their activity from behind bars making it that much harder for people that are committed to rehabilitation to succeed. If you think the general public would think otherwise you are sadly mistaken and don't really understand the country you live in. International law should have zero to do with how this country handles it's internal problems. Seriously, who cares what Sweden thinks! In terms of logistics you don't even have to use the military, you create special police squads with government mandates to handle the problem. I should also add that the National Guard has been used for police actions and our military forces can also be used for domestic matters, no law against it. And I'll tell you what's really absurd is when people feel a need to protect the rights of scumbags to continue to be scumbags.

ApathyKills
ApathyKills

Amidst your posturing, insults, and profanity, you make a couple points that I agree with.

1.) Gangs are well armed, and sometimes well organized, thugs preying on people.

2.) Pouring money in to the problem does not solve the issue.

That said, the answer is never to stoop to the level of labeling American citizens enemy combatants and suspending their rights while also violating international law by shipping them off to what could be seen as concentration camps. Imagine if a different country did this to their citizens. What would Americans think about it? The police and the military are separate for very good reasons. Across the board, countries that have used their military as internal police ended up violating their citizens rights (and not just the ones originally targeted.)

I don't want to get in to an internet argument, I just found your original comment absurd. Especially when what we have here is an individual who is a habitual offender, possible gang member and will spend the rest of his life removed from society because of Colorado's habitual offender laws. I agree 100% with you that Terance and people like him who show a pattern of remorseless violence should not be on the streets.

The tragedy here is that the system didn't intervene sooner and save Nate Engle's life.

Kuei
Kuei

The "Drunken Money". How fitting!Either way, it is no big loss. I would say it is a shame american tax payers will be supporting his 3 kids now, but we probably were before this happened.

truthforlife
truthforlife

i love your post the hell all these posts by fam/friends this boy was a joke. i do feel bad he died.  

Ken
Ken

 You are one evil person Kuei God help you

Ohle
Ohle

I did know Nate, and yes, he struggled as a kid, but grew up and was out of trouble and making ends meet!!! and... NO tax payers weren't paying for his kids. I think such a moronic statement that "it is no big loss" is that of an evil person, that should respect the family and friends that Nate has left behind that have read your ignorant post!

ApathyKills
ApathyKills

Wow, I don't care what the situation is... this is the type of blind apathy that breeds people like Wilson.

Ohle
Ohle

Nate's friends and family appreciate your kind posts, thank you!

Regretz970
Regretz970

I'm tired of hearing about the father of three that was sucker punched. Yes it was tragic he died, but according to the police report he was punched in the face and fell backward and hit his head. How many people out there have punched somebody? It could be any one of you behind bars right now for the same thing. Nate Engle is not an inocent person. He is a southsider! A member of the Greeley South Side Criminals! Stay at home father of three? How about a gang member out drinking away from his kids.

OHLE
OHLE

I see the comments replying to your ridiculous post, which I feel happy for Nate, that people won't allow unknowns to get away with posting such trash. However, let me help you understand something. First of all, MOST PEOPLE DON'T GO AROUND PUNCHING PEOPLE!!! So... If in fact someone out there is/has punched someone and they died, they should get the switch as well. Nate doesn't have a rap sheet as long as the Nile like Wilson, talk about guilty! He should have been off our streets long before this fatal tragedy transpired! Especially if in fact he was be sober (like Wilson said he was) he had NO business punching anyone! Whether in the face or the back of the head! Nate was punched in the corner of his eye, while eating.. If you play that out in your head logically, you would find it would be very difficult to defend. Not to mention Wilson has already confessed to at least two other altercations that same night. Wilson is a gang-banger, Nate was NOT! As a family member, I and the rest of the people that deserve grieving respect from little tyrants such as yourself, I would ask that you do some fact checking before throw out verbage you can't back up. Nate Engle was a good kid, a good father, was entitled to be out with friends for a fun night, and indeed was very inocent in this case. NO person deserves to be killed from gettting sucker punched so cowardly. I hope you, like your user name, "regretz" using your free speech in such an ignorant disrespectful manner!

Nikkienew
Nikkienew

SO you think you know all but you dont dude so sorry to tell you but east is different from south last thing. so next time you try to talk smak make sure you got your facts stright ... thanks nates sister

nates friends
nates friends

you dont even know nathen and he was not a fucken a gang banger. if your so tired of hearing it then why the fuck are you wasting your time on this page?????? nathen was a stay at home dad and thats what he did. that was the first time in ALONG  time that he went out, and it was to be a celebration for friends and fun.,,, look at the picture of who he was out with retard really looks like some gang bangers, an yes it can happen to anyone but it happend to my close friend so i hope some how it just happens to you to you sick twisted heartless piece of shit. If dont wanna hear it then stop listening, if u dont agree then shut ur mouth, ur the last person who any one ever cares to hear an opinion from anyways. Three kids without a dad an thats your opinion what a pice of work karma is a bitch remember that punk                                                 R.I.P. Natewe love you nate, and always will, you will never be forgotten, love all your friend and family

thinkin
thinkin

Wilson needs to hang.  Sounds like the same kind of situation that was happening in downtown denver last year...only more pathetic.  Prison life is HARD son!!!! Hopefully growing up as rapper on the rough streets of FoCo has prepared him

Chrissyleblanc
Chrissyleblanc

we loved nate so much and its sooooo sad that this had to happen because of someone trying to be hard. now we are without a wonderful person who left behind three beautful children, all because T.W thought nate was someone elce.. god please let are friend get justice for this harednice act, we love you nate and will miss you with all are hearts.

Kp073108
Kp073108

He said she said bull shIt how many times has a man punched someone n nothin happened if t Was the stiker he Deff wasnt tryin to kill the man terance can be a jerk but nate had to have done some bull ti start it n think how many have u have hit someone for a dum reason? U would never expect death

Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts

Thanks for the heartfelt post, Chrissy -- and our condolences for your loss.

bigriggs
bigriggs

Exact the same punishment on Wilson....

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