The first batch of prospective jurors in the Aurora theater shooting case reported for jury duty this afternoon. They listened to introductory remarks about the case from Judge Carlos Samour and then filled out an eighteen-page questionnaire that will help the judge and attorneys choose who will serve on the…
Today marks two weeks since a bomb went off outside the building that houses the NAACP offices in Colorado Springs, and while a suspect’s sketch was released days later, no arrests have been made. To emphasize the need for progress in the case, NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, who’s been…
Jury selection in the trial of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes is scheduled to start the afternoon of Tuesday, January 20, when the first 250 of 9,000 summoned prospective jurors will report to the courthouse. Out of those 9,000, 24 people — twelve jurors and twelve alternates — will be…
Our Schmuck of the Week team recently offered a tip of the hat to the Denver Police Department for Facebooking the story of Andrew Blackman, whose escape from the cops went sour when he ran straight to a police station. And it’s hardly the only tale of its type to…
Pueblo’s Phenia Martinez, 25, had multiple Facebook pages, with one of them dominated by photos of young children — and as the new year dawned, she was preparing to welcome a new life, being eight-months pregnant. But before this blessed event could take place, she was brutally murdered — and…
Colorado may have more than its share of hash-oil explosions these days, but the number of fiery meth-lab accidents here is among the lowest in the country. A recent survey in Missouri shows that while some states experienced well over 1,000 incidents, with more than 11,000 taking place nationwide, Colorado…
Offensive lineman Isaiah Holland hasn’t played a snap for the CU Buffs football team, but he’s a promising recruit with an NFL pedigree (his dad has a Super Bowl ring) from whom big things were expected. Not so much anymore. Holland has been suspended from the team indefinitely after allegedly…
Melissa Boyd had quite an evening of it this past Saturday. She was busted after a crash in which she’s alleged to have drunkenly hit and run — and shortly thereafter, authorities learned she’d left her eleven-month-old baby home alone while she did it. Continue for photos, video and details…
Update: Yesterday, when we told you about the arrest of Robert Richard Beattie Smith on suspicion of sexual assault while posing as a massage therapist (see our previous coverage below), we noted that Aurora police feared the existence of additional victims. Apparently, they were right: Five women have contacted investigators…
It’s distressingly rare for cold cases to heat up decades after they were committed — and when they do, as with the death of Jacqueline Gallegos, whose killer was brought to justice twenty years after her passing, the reason is often improvements in DNA technology. Officials in Summit County are…
In October 2013, we told you about a massive search for a child kidnapper and the subsequent arrest of John Snorsky, whose friends insisted he was innocent. Snorsky, who had previously told a Westword reporter about his time in prison and difficult childhood, eventually pleaded guilty in the case. But…
UPDATE: Third Judicial District Attorney Frank Ruybalid has reached a settlement in a state ethics investigation of his office. Ruybalid admitted to thirteen violations of Colorado’s rules for professional conduct of attorneys, and received a suspended six-month suspension of his law license and 23 months of probation. According to a…
In 2013, we told you about Robert Gonzales, who was accused of pimping a foster child for cash and meth. Gonzales has now been given a 112-years-to-life sentence — a jolt that strikes one of the jurors who found him guilty as excessive in the extreme. And indeed, Thomas White,…
Judging by his online postings, Daerius Churchill, 22, was a relentlessly positive person who was beloved by his family and friends — which makes his murder on Sunday (days before yesterday’s double-homicide at a Colorado Coalition for the Homeless-run building) that much more cruel. The Denver Police Department is reaching…
Update: Yesterday, we told you about reports of two attempted sexual assaults that victimized teenage girls at Monarch Mountain ski area; see our previous coverage below. Now, an arrest has been made in the case. The alleged perpetrator: a fifteen-year-old boy. See also: Photos: Leo’s Smoke Shack at Breckenridge Destroyed…
Update: The stories surrounding Colorado Springs mayoral candidate Justine Herring keep getting stranger and stranger. Following her arrest on a felony menacing charge for allegedly pointing an AR-15 at a man in a public park (see our previous coverage below), she was busted again on a similar accusation. She’s also…
Yesterday, we kicked off our look at the most memorable mug shots of 2014 with a look at women’s booking photos. Today, it’s time for ink — and if you think this shot of Justin Lamb’s “FUCK COPS” tat is eye-catching, just wait until you see the rest of his…
If a child is left home alone, even for a short time, terrible things can happen. That’s among the tragic takeaways from a fire that claimed the life of three-year old Lileigh Kellenaers — and while her mom, Kristen Braig, and Braig’s boyfriend, Dustin Blanchard, are suspected of child abuse…
As we move into 2015, it’s time for a look back at the most memorable mug shots of last year. The first of several posts features the women who found themselves posing for booking photos in 2014, including Emily Anderson, whose winning smile contrasts with reports that she admitted trying…
Mike Alvarado is the pride of Denver boxing, and on January 24 at the 1STBANK Center, he’s scheduled to face arch-rival Brandon Rios in a key match scheduled to be broadcast on HBO. But if and when he steps into the ring, he’ll have a shadow hanging over him –…
Last May, we told you about Alton Kirkland, who’d been busted for a hit-and-run crash that killed Jordan Sprouse, eighteen — and reports suggested that he’d split even though his girlfriend and kids were hurt in the crash, too. Now, Kirkland has pleaded guilty to nine counts, including multiple felonies…
What began as an unattended death investigation on New Year’s Eve quickly turned into a homicide inquiry. Now, the victim, Toshio Gilmore, has been identified, but no arrests have been made in the case. Here’s the latest. See also: Jayson Figueroa Among Victims in Adams County Triple Murder, One Survivor…
