Week of February 17, 2022
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
DouglasCountyNewsPress.net
VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 15
Double homicide leaves rural Dougco community shocked, confused Many say the crime is out of character for man arrested BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Soon after the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced they
wanted the public’s help in the search for a man suspected of double homicide near Franktown on Feb. 9, comments began pouring in. Over the next few days, dozens of people flocked to the sheriff’s office social media posts to express their grief, their surprise and their confusion. Many said that the man in question, 29-year-old Casey Devol, was someone they call a friend. A few hours after the announce-
ment from DCSO, Devol was arrested on suspicion of killing two people: his sister, Jessica Mitchell, and her boyfriend, Bryan Todd Gray. According to the sheriff’s office says Devol was seen on video entering and leaving the home with firearms during the time of the murders. Friends and commenters have said there must be more to the story. Sheriff Tony Spurlock said in an interview with Colorado Commu-
Future of mill levy, bond measures uncertain amid DCSD controversies, committee chair says
SEE HOMICIDE, P17
Castle Pines water woes
Mistrust persisted during talks about compensation, capital needs
Parker Water Board halts inclusion plan BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
down a “death spiral” with the odds of voters passing funding measures this year decreasing after two weeks of board controversies, she said. “If I were one of the people who sits at home and pops popcorn and watches this like it’s a reality TV show, I would be on social media going … there’s just no way that you
Castle Pines North residents are headed back to the drawing board to sort out water issues after the Parker Water District officially pulled out of an inclusion partnership on Feb. 10. Just under a year ago, the residents of the Castle Pines North Metro District approved the inclusion plan through a special election. The inclusion, which had originally been scheduled to be completed on Jan. 3, was delayed in December to provide time to address unresolved issues necessary for Parker Water to accept a fully functional water and wastewater system and for the metro district to obtain funds to pay for the inclusion. During the Feb. 10 meeting, the Parker Water Board of Directors concluded that recent activities demonstrated the relationship between the water district and the
SEE LEVY, P6
SEE WATER, P18
BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At their first public meeting following the firing of former Superintendent Corey Wise, members of the Douglas County School Board were given a warning: One of the few issues uniting them could be in peril amid the glaring division among leadership. All seven school board directors have consistently agreed that improving compensation is an urgent issue in the district. Some have said passing a mill levy override — and possibly a bond — in November could be the only remedy. The board unanimously voted to form a Mill Bond Exploratory Committee, or MBEC, on Jan. 25. The ad hoc committee’s purpose is to assess operational and capital needs of the district, as well as the likelihood of passing a mill levy override or a bond in November.
nity Media that so far, the physical evidence points to only one suspect being responsible for the murders. Why this happened, however, doesn’t seem as clear. “Nothing is jumping off the table at us right now for a motive,” Spurlock said. Detectives are continuing to look through the evidence and interview
Douglas County School Board President Mike Peterson listens to discussion during a PHOTO BY JESSICA GIBBS Feb. 8 study session.
A Feb. 8 study session covered a lengthy list of capital needs in the district, from new buildings to bolstering security to updating IT equipment. The 2021-22 Master Capital Plan identifies between $765 million and $847 million in capital projects, including $423 million for new construction. During the session, Sandra Brownrigg, chairperson of MBEC, said the district could be headed
Dream Big Dreams...
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
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