Just after midnight on Friday morning, Boulder Police dispatch received what was initially described as a 911 hangup. But the line remained open, and the operator heard plenty, including loud noises, yelling and comments that included, "Don't kill me."
As officers rolled to a location in the vicinity of 31st Street and Pearl Parkway, dispatch kept them updated on the frantic dialogue picked up by the phone's receiver. Among the phrases heard:
"Please open the door."
"You just tried to kill me."
"I'm going to stomp your head into the concrete."
"Johnny, you're fucked up."
"They made me so scared I had to do this."
And finally: "Just please don't kill me."
At that point, the line went dead -- but it came back to life shortly thereafter. Someone named Mike -- later identified as Michael Giampino, 28 -- spoke briefly, but he was fearful he'd be overheard. However, he was able to tell dispatch he was near a shed. This information led officers to an abandoned building, where Waters was standing. Two bodies were on the ground nearby.
Waters, his face splashed with blood, told cops he had a knife in his pocket. After he surrendered the weapon, he told one of the officers that he had been sleeping when the two men tried to "choke him out," so he "defended himself." He added, "That's all you need to know. I plead the Fifth."
Nonetheless, Waters added more details shortly thereafter. He claimed to have been sleeping in a shed when "Johnny" -- the name he used for the still-unidentified man -- and another guy he didn't know (presumably Giampino) began bothering him, prompting his actions.
In contrast, the badly wounded Giampino said he'd been the one sleeping in the shed when Waters entered, speaking what sounded like gibberish. Then he felt pain in his back, chest and face as Waters began punching him. Worse followed.
By the way, Waters admitted to drinking that evening, but not a lot -- only a pint or so. As for the man known for now as Johnny, he was very drunk, and he didn't survive his wounds.
According to the Boulder District Attorney's Office, Waters appeared at an advisement hearing yesterday, during which he was told he'd been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. He'll make another trip to court to hear formal charges on Thursday.
Look below to see a larger version of Waters's mug shot, as well as the aforementioned arrest report.
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More from our Mile High Murder archive: "Mark Sepulveda, Juan Carlos murder suspect, confirmed killed in cell-phone store robbery."
