Homicide at Dayton and Montview intersection in Aurora: Little info three days later (43)

Is it possible that a murder could have taken place in broad daylight at a traffic-light-controlled intersection in a sizable American city and no one saw much of anything? That's a question that arises three days after a slaying that left a man dead behind the wheel of his SUV...

By Michael Roberts

March 26, 2012

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Is it possible that a murder could have taken place in broad daylight at a traffic-light-controlled intersection in a sizable American city and no one saw much of anything?

That's a question that arises three days after a slaying that left a man dead behind the wheel of his SUV in Aurora.

According to the Aurora Police Department, officers responded to a report of shots fired at around 12:55 p.m. on Friday on the 1900 block of Dayton Street. Officers weren't far away, so it didn't take long for them to discover the body of a man in a Jeep Cherokee near the intersection of Dayton and East Montview Boulevard. He appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds -- ones that proved fatal, since he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at an area hospital.

This area isn't exactly the middle of nowhere. Montview is a well-traveled road, and as is displayed in the interactive graphic below, there's a gas station and a Price Savers food mart nearby. Yet at this writing, three days removed, the APD has released no information about suspects and only the barest details about the vehicle that contained them -- reportedly a blue and white SUV. Neither has the victim been identified.

Look below to check out the area in the vicinity of the scene; if you have problems viewing the image, click "See Larger Map."

View Larger Map

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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.

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