American Elm Closed for the Week Following Double Homicide

On April 24, two people were found dead inside American Elm, a restaurant located at 4132 West 38th Avenue.

Just after 12:45 p.m. that day, the Denver Police Department tweeted an alert about a death investigation in progress in the 4100 block of West 38th Avenue. Nearly three hours later, the DPD tweeted this update: “This incident is now being investigated as a double homicide. Two victims located.”

The restaurant released the following statement that evening: “The American Elm team is completely devastated by today’s tragic events. We are focused on providing our staff mental health support and will be closed for the rest of the week. We are cooperating fully with the Denver Police Department in their ongoing investigation and will not be providing any further comment at this time out of respect for the families and loved ones involved.”

On April 25, police identified the victims as Emerall Vaughn-Dahler, who is listed on the restaurant’s website as its general manager, and Ignacio “Nacho” Gutierrez Morales. The DPD is requesting the public’s assistance in solving the case. Anyone with information can call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 720-913-7867; tipsters can remain anonymous, and a reward of up to $2,000 is being offered.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the families of the victims. Here are their bios from that page:

Emerall Vaughn-Dahler was 34 years old and is survived by her son Michael, age 12, and husband Andrew. She was born in St Johns, Arizona, and raised across St Johns, San Diego and Arvada. She spent the entirety of her career in the Denver hospitality scene. She joined the American Elm Team in June of 2021 as a server and through hard work and dedication quickly rose to become General Manager. She was earnest, hard-working and compassionate, and had a kind and gentle spirit. Above all she was a loving mother, selfless and accepting of all, no judgments.

Ignacio “Nacho” Gutierrez Morales was 58 years old and was extremely well-respected within Denver’s culinary community. He worked for years at Guard and  Grace and Highland Tavern before coming to American Elm as a prep cook. He was born in Puebla, Mexico. He is survived by his threechildren who all love him very much (Cinthia, 36 years old; Johnathan, 32 years old; and Alex, 18 yearsold). Nacho was very caring, humble and loved by many. If he had a chance to help someone, he was always there. He was quiet and always there to listen.

American Elm debuted in August 2019 and impressed Denver diners from the beginning. Owner Bob Reiter brought years of hospitality experience in restaurants and music venues to the project, and created a place inspired by his time living in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn.

In Westword’s Best of Denver 2020, which came out just as pandemic restrictions – including the shutdown of indoor dining – took hold, American Elm was named Best To-Go From Denver’s Best New Restaurant. The eatery survived the pandemic and has continued to be a standout in the West Highland neighborhood.

Now, though, it faces a completely different challenge as it mourns this unexpected tragedy.

In the meantime, the Colorado Restaurant Foundation is working to connect the American Elm team with its mental health and hardships grants, according to communications director Denise Mickelsen. The CRA was also already planning to hold CPR, QPR Suicide Prevention Training and active shooter trainings for the hospitality community, which will be scheduled in the coming months.

“Our hearts go out to the entire team at American Elm. Restaurant workers spend their days and nights serving others, providing safe spaces where community members feel welcome. It’s horrific that this team now has to deal with the fallout from a tragic crime, and we will help support them however we can,” Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association shared in a statement.