"Praying Grandma" Rebecca Lavrenz Positioned as Martyr After J6 Conviction

Colorado's Rebecca Lavrenz is ready for her election-year close-up.

On April 4, Lavrenz lost in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where she was found guilty on four misdemeanor counts related to her presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021: entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol.

But Lavrenz, 71, whose handle on X  is @j6prayinggrandma, has won the love of the conservative press, which immediately responded to her conviction with howls of protest. And since Lavrenz has already attracted the notice of former president Donald Trump, with whom she's seen chatting in her X profile pic, she's likely to be portrayed as a symbol of injustice during the run-up to the November 2024 presidential election.

Trump has promised to consider pardons and "to many, an apology" for J6 participants he sees as patriots and hostages rather than insurrectionists. And given that Lavrenz is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12 (she could receive up to a year in prison and a $200,000 fine, but is likelier to get probation), the timing for her to become a campaign issue is ideal.

The list of people with Colorado connections in various stages of prosecution for what the U.S. Department of Justice calls the "Capitol breach" continues to grow. On February 28, Wheat Ridge's Matthew Melsen was arrested and charged with felony civil disorder plus several misdemeanor offenses — notably, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. And on March 22, Kittredge's Jeffrey Sabol, whose story of radicalization is one of the most fascinating to emerge from this dark chapter of American history, was sentenced to more than five years in prison after being convicted last August of three felony charges: obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, federal robbery, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting.

Rebecca Lavrenz's Colorado Connection

A  retired nurse who lives in Falcon and owns a bed and breakfast, Lavrenz is not just a grandmother, but a great-grandmother — and as reported by the Colorado Times Recorder, she has a familial connection with Trump. "I was arrested, charged, and am awaiting trial on March 25, 2024 for praying and taking God’s presence into our U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021," Lavrenz wrote in an August 2023 Facebook post. "Just last week I had the honor of being introduced to the President by my daughter, Laura, who works for his campaign. I was able to have a brief conversation with him and let him know I am in this fight with him to save our country."

Since then, Lavrenz has shared dozens of posts about her legal situation on X, with items appearing almost daily in the weeks leading up to her first court appearance on March 25. Here's one example — a video recorded en route to Washington, D.C.:

In tears as I drive by the Capitol for the first time since January 2021.

My own country is treating me like a criminal. I’m here because I love my country. America is worth saving and I won’t give up.#j6trial #j6prayingrandma pic.twitter.com/hpW2MVOVJd

— Rebecca Lavrenz (@j6prayingrandma) March 20, 2024

Lavrenz kept up her communication on X even after the proceedings against her began. On April 2, she offered this: "Trial week two: On the witness stand almost five hours yesterday defending God, my country, and my First Amendment Rights. Now jury deliberation will go into the third day tomorrow. Let’s see what God does!"

While Lavrenz hasn't posted since, plenty of accounts about her conviction have been published by conservative sites, including a worshipful piece in American Spectator by Jack Cashill, an author who included Lavrenz in his forthcoming book Ashli: The Untold Story of the Women of January 6.

"On New Year’s Day 2021, Rebecca got a call from her son asking if she intended to attend the 'March to Save America' rally in Washington," Cashill states. "Knowing his mom refused to fly because of mandatory masking, he hinted: 'You know it’s only a 25-hour drive. You can make it in two days.' Rebecca prayed about it and came to the conclusion: 'You know what, I think God’s telling me to go.' And so she went, stopping in St. Louis for a single overnight stay.

"At approximately 2:43 p.m. on Jan. 6, Rebecca entered the Capitol through an open door on the more orderly east side of the Capitol," the narrative continues. "Said Rebecca, 'I felt that if those doors opened I was supposed to go through.' After entering, engulfed in a crowd, she ascended the east stairs and headed toward the Rotunda. She didn’t yell, didn’t shout, spoke to one police officer about nothing memorable, and saw no violence or vandalism. Although no one told her to leave, at 2:51 p.m. she climbed down the stairs she had just ascended and exited the building."

For Cashill, accusing Lavrenz of crimes was reprehensible: "J. Edgar would be rolling over in his grave if he knew his beloved agents were tracking down great-grannies on misdemeanor charges, but that’s apparently the FBI’s new mission." He also quotes Lavrenz's attorneys as contending that "the government strikes anyone who seems normal," and contends that "the three young prosecutors — all thin, white, and bespectacled — evoked Hannah Arendt’s immortal phrase 'the banality of evil.' Arendt made that comment in reference to Nazi executioner-in-chief Adolf Eichmann. The prosecutors had not ascended to that level of evil, but in their untroubled eagerness to send a prayerful great-grandmother to prison, they seemed capable."

The jury deliberated for three days over Lavrenz's fate before delivering a guilty verdict on all the charges against her — a bad break for her legally, but a potential boon for Trump supporters

The Sixteen Other People From Colorado Arrested for the Insurrection

Here's the DOJ's roster of the sixteen other Colorado residents people arrested in connection with the Capitol breach (in alphabetical order), along with updates of their cases:


Todd Branden Casey
Resident of Denver
Location and date of arrest: Georgetown, Colorado, on August 30, 2023
Charges: Felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the capitol grounds or buildings.
Outcome: Case is pending
Excerpt from Casey statement of facts: "According to police body-worn camera footage, an individual, later identified as Casey, approached a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer at about 2:11 p.m., shouting, 'F*** you. F*** all of you. F*** all of you.' At 2:12 p.m., Casey slammed his hands against the metal barriers and began to taunt officers by shouting, 'Take that swing at me, m*****f*****. Take that swing. I ain’t afraid. What are you saying? Speak up!' and 'I would have come locked and loaded if I knew this was happening!' At approximately 2:27 p.m., Casey appeared to give orders to the other rioters by stating, 'Now! Push it! Push it!' Seconds later, other rioters in the area responded to Casey’s encouragement by baiting and cursing at the officers while aggressively kicking the metal barriers in order to knock them down. Minutes later, Casey shoved an MPD officer in the chest..."

Jacob Travis Clark
Resident of Trinidad
Location and date of arrest: Colorado Springs on April 21, 2021
Charges: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder; Obstruction of Justice/Congress
Outcome: In October 2023, Clark was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his role in the insurrection.
Excerpt from Clark statement of facts: "The officers state that they are just doing their jobs and CLARK screams, 'So were the Nazis!' CLARK then screams at the officers, 'Stand down!'"

Glenn Wes Lee Croy
Resident of Colorado Springs
Location and date of arrest: Colorado Springs on February 17, 2021
Charges: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
Outcome: Plea agreement entered August 9, 2021; pleaded guilty to Count 4 of the information. Sentenced on November 5, 2021 to three years probation, $500 restitution
Excerpt from Croy criminal complaint and statement of facts: "In a conversation conducted over Facebook Messenger, Croy and an individual hereinafter referred to as 'Witness 1' discussed the Capitol riots. In the course of this Facebook Messenger conversation, Croy told Witness 1, 'I was there,' and sent Witness 1 a picture of himself and another individual inside the U.S. Capitol Building standing in front of an Abraham Lincoln bust statue."

Tyler Earl Ethridge
Resident of Colorado Springs
Location and date of arrest: Denver on July 8, 2022
Charges: Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building
Outcome: He was found guilty of six criminal charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Excerpt from Ethridge statement of facts: "ETHRIDGE posted, 'We weren’t inspired by anyone to do what we did. We’ve been awakened over the past four years to a communist insurgence,' and 'I was there. Literally the tip of the spear. Yes, I encouraged us to press forward to the base of the Capitol. I don’t regret that decision one bit.'"
Robert Gieswein
Resident of Woodland Park and alleged member of the Three Percenters militia group
Location and date of arrest: Divide, Colorado, on January 18, 2021
Charges: Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Destruction of Government Property; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon
Arraigned on April 15, 2021, and pleaded not guilty to all counts
Outcome: Gieswein was sentenced in June 2023 to 48 months in prison.
Excerpt from Gieswein complaint and affidavit: "Gieswein — recognizable by his distinctive military-style helmet and patch — steps forward, lifts a black cannister in his hand, and sprays an unidentified substance at law-enforcement officers."

Logan Grover
Resident of Erie
Location and date of arrest: Erie, Colorado, on April 28, 2021
Charges: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building
Outcome: Pleaded guilty on July 20, 2022, and sentenced to probation.
Excerpt from Grover statement of facts: "The FBI obtained a second video showing LOGAN GROVER outside of the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, from another tipster who downloaded it from a social media site. In a still shot from this video...GROVER can be seen looking at law enforcement officers standing behind the broken glass in one of the doors to the Capitol Building as another protestor points at them."

Thomas Patrick Hamner
Resident of Peyton
Location and date of arrest: Colorado Springs on November 30, 2021
Charges: Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon or Inflicting Bodily Injury; Civil Disorder; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds
Outcome: Pleaded guilty on May 17, 2022, to Count 2 of the indictment (civil disorder); sentenced to thirty months in prison.
Excerpt from Hamner statement of facts: "Open-source video from January 6, 2021, depicts HAMNER fighting with officers from the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police, who were assisting U.S. Capitol Police at the time, over a police barricade on the West Plaza."

Jennifer Horvath
Resident of Colorado Springs
Location and date of arrest: Colorado Springs on May 3, 2022
Charges: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds; Other Offenses on Capitol Grounds
Outcome: Sentenced to three years of probation
Excerpt from Horvath statement of facts: "At approximately 13:15 of the recording, Horvath, [Glen Wes Lee] Croy, and [Terry Lynn] Lindsey can be seen walking together down a corridor of the U.S. Capitol Building while chanting, 'Whose house? Our house.' Horvath is holding a cell phone in her right hand, as if recording her progress into the U.S. Capitol Building."

Klete Derik Keller
Former Olympic athlete turned Colorado Springs-based real estate broker
Location and date of arrest: Denver on January 14, 2021
Charges: Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
Outcome: Plea agreement entered September 29, 2021. In December 2023, sentenced to three months of probation
Excerpt from Keller complaint and statement of facts: "Open-source research revealed that KELLER is a three-time Olympic athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist, and PERSON 1 appears to be wearing a United States Olympic Team jacket in the video showing him in the Rotunda."
Avery Carter MacCracken
Resident of Telluride who flew to Washington, D.C., from Montrose
Location and date of arrest: Telluride on December 11, 2021
Charges: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon or Inflicting Bodily Injury; Civil Disorder; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
Outcome: Pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of law enforcement and is awaiting sentencing.
Excerpt from MacCracken statement of facts: "During the civil unrest that ensued, a male individual later identified as Avery MacCracken...approached Officer J.G. and engaged in physical contact, assaulting Officer J.G. with pushes, shoves, and a strike to the face. Specifically, MacCracken punched Officer J.G. with his closed fist in the right cheek, causing a cut to the face under his right eye. Officer J.G. took a selfie-pic of his injuries and provided self-aid; he did not seek other medical care."

Matthew James Melsen
Resident of Wheat Ridge who flew to Washington, D.C. from Denver
Location and date of arrest: Wheat Ridge on February 28, 2024
Charges: Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings.
Outcome: Pending
Excerpt from Melsen statement of facts: "The individual told FBI that he met Melsen during a connection on January 5, 2021 prior to arriving in Washington D.C. Melsen stayed with the individual at a hotel in Arlington, Virginia and traveled with him to the rally and then to the U.S. Capitol on January 6 where they were separated. Based on these statements and my training and experience in law enforcement, I believe that this individual is Person 1, whom Melsen mentioned during his interview in April 2021. Person 1 provided Melsen Phone 1 as MELSEN's phone number and stated Melsen admitted to Person 1 that he fought with an officer while at the U.S. Capitol."

Patrick Montgomery
Resident of Littleton who owns a hunting guide business
Location and date of arrest: Littleton on January 17, 2021
Charges: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building; Entering and Remaining in the Gallery of Either House of Congress; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct at the Grounds and in a Capitol Building
Outcome: Arraigned April 21, 2021, and pleaded not guilty to all counts. Case pending.
Excerpt from Montgomery statement of facts: "Another tipster, who will be referred to as T-2, provided a post from MONTGOMERY’S Facebook page, wherein a member of the public posted on Facebook a photograph and commented to MONTGOMERY asking, 'Is this you? I saw it on another page and it looked like you.' T-1 responded, 'I have saved this photo and will be indetifying [sic] you to authorities,' to which MONTGOMERY replied, 'Got nothing to hide…'"

Daniel Morrissey
Morrissey is said to be "Colorado-based"
Location and date of arrest: Denver on October 20, 2021
Charges: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in Any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Knowingly Engaging in Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct in Any Restricting Buildings or Grounds, Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
Outcome: Pleaded guilty on February 23, 2022; sentenced to 45 days in prison
Excerpt from Morrissey statement of facts: "CW-2 asks MORRISSEY if he is in the Capitol. MORRISSEY responds with a photo that appears to have been taken inside the Capitol followed by the text 'Shit got
crazy' and 'I nave [sic] it all on video.' MORRISSEY adds that he has more videos that he can share."

Hunter Palm
Resident of Colorado Springs area
Location and date of arrest: Denver on May 12, 2021
Charges: Obstruction of Justice/Congress; Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds without Lawful Authority; Engaging in Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
Outcome: Pleaded guilty in January 2024 and sentenced to probation
Excerpt from Palm statement of facts: "On February 6, 2021, FBI agents interviewed PALM with his legal counsel present. During that interview, PALM admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. He provided the FBI with the cellular phone he claimed he had at the Capitol and explained that he had removed all Capitol-related content from the phone and placed it on a flash drive. PALM then gave that flash drive to the FBI, and it contained videos PALM recorded on January 6, 2021. PALM also showed the FBI where he had entered and exited the U.S. Capitol building. Finally, PALM brought the clothes he was wearing on January 6, 2021, to the interview: a gray Levi Strauss-branded hooded sweatshirt, with light blue jeans, a black hat with a white American flag with a blue stripe in the middle, and a blue and red flag with white stars and the words 'TRUMP' and 'Keep America Great.'"

Jeffrey Sabol
Kittredge-based geophysicist and father of three who was radicalized after Obama's election
Location and date of arrest: New York, Southern District on January 21, 2021
Charges: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Civil Disorder; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building
Outcome: Found guilty in August 2023. Sentenced on March 22 to 63 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release, and instructed to pay $32,165.65 in restitution.
Excerpt from Sabol complaint and statement of facts: "Some moments later, this individual is captured once again seen ascending the stairs of the Capitol, but this time the individual seems to grab a police officer and pulls the officer down the stairs. It also seems that this individual is punching the back of the police officer as he drags him down the stairs. It should be noted that the individual in the still photograph is dressed in the exact same clothes, to include accessories (backpack and gloves), as the individual seen in the video."

Timothy Wayne Williams
Resident of Trinidad
Location and date of arrest: Denver on June 4, 2021
Charges: Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings; Parade, Demonstrate or Picket in any of the Capitol Buildings
Excerpt from Williams charging documents: "Your affiant reviewed a video posted to YouTube by ITV on January 12, 2021. At the 5:00 mark of the video, a person matching the description of WILLIAMS’ Colorado Driver's License and WILLIAMS’ appearance when he met with agents at his residence in Trinidad on March 17, 2021 is visible.... This person is wearing a Hortilux cap. Hortilux is a manufacturer of HID grow lights, ballast, and systems for indoor growers. In his interview with the FBI on March 17, 2021, WILLIAMS stated that he previously worked for GrowGeneration, a hydroponics equipment supplier in Trinidad, but lost his job because he wouldn’t take a COVID test."

In addition, Colorado Springs's Jonathan Grace, 49, was sentenced in January to serve two years in prison, followed by three years of probation, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for felony assault. And at least three other Colorado-affiliated people have been implicated in the insurrection. In November, Justin Schulz of Colorado Springs and Eric Zeis of Monument were both arrested on suspicion of felony and misdemeanor offenses. And Brady Knowlton, a resident of Utah facing charges of theft of government property, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstruction of justice/Congress, was a University of Denver law school student when he headed to D.C. that January.