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.