A man who threatened another person with a hatchet on Mount Herman near Monument three weeks before a mountain biker’s mysterious shooting death in the area could soon be free.

Daniel J. Nations on Friday pleaded guilty to two felonies – neither involving violence – and was immediately sentenced to three years of supervised probation. A judge also imposed a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Under normal circumstances, Nations’ release would be imminent, but there is an arrest warrant for him out of Clear Creek County, making the timing unclear, 4th Judicial District Judge Jann DuBois said of a deal that resolved all local charges against him.

As part of his plea deal with prosecutors, Nations, 32, admitted to wielding a hatchet while threatening a man during an Aug. 23 confrontation, nearly a month before the disappearance of Palmer Lake cyclist Timothy Watkins.

Few details were released in court, though prosecutor Pam Radigan said the victim of Nations’ threats wanted the judge to know about the man’s hair-trigger temper.

“He was very concerned about how quickly things escalated that way,” Radigan said.

Sheriff’s detective Jason Darbyshire requested a prison sentence, citing what he characterized as Nations’ escalating outbursts.

Nations has not been accused in Watkins’ death, and the prospect of his impending release – with no sign of additional charges – raises questions as to whether the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is any closer to announcing a break in the homicide case.

“The appearance of inactivity does not mean no activity,” sheriff’s Lt. Cy T. Gillespie told the newspaper recently. Gillespie denied the case has gone “cold.”

Watkins, of Palmer Lake, went missing on a bike ride Sept. 14 and his body was found three days later in a shallow grave near a popular hiking trail in Limbaugh Canyon, which Watkins was known to frequent.

Radigan said she had no updates about the hunt for his killer or killers.

Nations drew the notice of Indiana State Police, who confirmed they were evaluating whether he could be the man seen on footage recovered as part of an investigation into the April killings of two teen girls in Delphi, Ind. Indiana authorities later announced they could not tie him to the unsolved killings.

In a sign of continuing interest, however, Radigan asked DuBois to lift a different judge’s order prohibiting law enforcement officers from contacting Nations without his attorney present. The judge granted the order. Darbyshire declined to say if Nations has been ruled out as a suspect.

Friday’s plea bargain settled all pending cases against Nations in the 4th Judicial District, except for a child custody case in Teller County.

He pleaded guilty to menacing and possession of a weapon by a felon – a .22 rifle found in his car. In exchange, prosecutors dropped trespassing charges and a count alleging that he failed to register as a sex offender, as required by a misdemeanor conviction for exposing himself in South Carolina. His sole felony conviction was for domestic violence against his estranged wife, Katelynn Nations. She wasn’t in court on Friday.

Nations had faced up to three years in prison for the hatchet threat and up to 18 months in jail on the weapons charge.

Wearing an orange jail jumpsuit with his hands cuffed behind his back, Nations tearfully pleaded for leniency, citing a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and his desire to fight for custody of his two children, ages 4 and 8 months, who were placed into foster care by Teller County child welfare workers after his arrest.

“I’ve lost my babies, your honor,” Nations said in a strained voice. “I want to fight for my kids.”

Nations did not mention the Watkins case nor the double murder in Indiana.

His concerns about his children echoed comments Nations made in a postcard to a Gazette reporter, in which he offered to be interviewed if the reporter could help him post bond so that he could “get my babies back from this state.” The newspaper declined.

Nations told the judge he came to Colorado earlier this year with his wife and children looking for answers after his brother, Edward Lyles, was beaten to death in Colorado Springs last January. The crime led to second-degree murder charges against Matthew Stroker, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

Shortly after the family arrived, thieves broke into their car and stole his wallet and cash, stranding his family in the Pikes Peak region, Nations told the judge.

His attorney, public defender Jennifer Chu, said Nations disputes claims made in the menacing case, but pleaded guilty to take advantage of the plea bargain. Chu said the warrant in Clear Creek County involves a court appearance that Nations was unable to attend because he was in custody. Nations is due in Clear Creek County on Jan. 10 for an appearance on charges of false reporting, a misdemeanor. His bond is set at $500.

As a condition of his probation, he must submit to a mental health examination and substance abuse screening and comply with treatment plans required by the custody case.

Gazette reporter Kaitlin Durbin contributed to this story.

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