Douglass Singleton, Mile High Murder No. 66: Isaiah Shaffer becomes second man charged with killing Denver man in controversial robbery

In early January, right after Douglass Singleton was shot and killed, the Denver Police Department characterized the slaying as a medical marijuana transaction gone awry -- leading to speculation that the weed element was being trumped up for demonization purposes without adequate proof. The Denver District Attorney's Office hasn't played...

By Michael Roberts

February 4, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

In early January, right after Douglass Singleton was shot and killed, the Denver Police Department characterized the slaying as a medical marijuana transaction gone awry -- leading to speculation that the weed element was being trumped up for demonization purposes without adequate proof.

The Denver District Attorney's Office hasn't played that game in announcing the arrest of Peter Bellar the week of the crime or the charging of a second man, Isaiah Shaffer, with first degree murder and two aggravated robbery counts in relation to Singleton's death. The DA's latest account is appropriately straight-forward, with no overt political agenda. Read it below:

SECOND MAN CHARGED IN ROBBERY/MURDER

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey has formally charged another man in connection with the robbery and murder of a 59-year-old Denver man last month.

Isaiah Shaffer (dob: 05-03-81) is charged with first-degree felony murder (F1) and two counts of aggravated robbery (F3).

The charges allege that on January 5, 2010 at about 12:30 a.m., Shaffer and co-defendant Peter Bellar robbed Douglass Singleton at his home in the 2600 block of Leyden Street. During the robbery, Singleton was killed and Bellar was wounded by gunfire.

Shaffer remains in custody in the Denver County Jail where he is being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in Denver County Courtroom 472W on Friday, February 5, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. for a formal advisement of his charges.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo