May 21, 2015
CONGRATULATIONS Class of
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 13 | 75¢
2015
SPECIAL TRIBUTE INSIDE EnglewoodHerald.net A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
WHAT’S INSIDE
Board picks new superintendent
Paying tribute: Memorial Day events planned for Littleton, Fort Logan. See Page 8
Artists assemble: Peg Meagher and rita derjue team up for watercolor show. See Page 13
Home stretch: Check out results from the Colorado Track and Field Championships. See Page 25 Englewood School Board members discuss the three finalists during the special board meeting on May 15. The board met to select the next school superintendent and voted to offer the position to Wendy Rubin, who currently is the Chatfield High School principal. Photo by Tom Munds
Englewood negotiating contract with Chatfield principal POSTAL ADDRESS
ENGLEWOOD HERALD
By Tom Munds
tmunds@colorado communitymedia.com Englewood School Board members discussed the attributes of the three remaining candidates for more than an hour before voting at the special May 15 meeting to seek to hire Wendy Rubin as the next district superintendent. Rubin is currently the principal at Chatfield High School. “I am thrilled and so excited
‘The district has made great strides recently in many areas, including facilities and curriculum. I hope to help the district continue on that path.’ Wendy Rubin, final candidate for Englewood superintendent to become part of the Englewood family,” Rubin said May 18. “The district has made great strides recently in many areas, including facilities and curriculum. I hope to help the district
continue on that path.” She said she was impressed by the commitment and passion of members of the community and school district who sat on the interview committees.
“I think everyone on those committees showed their love for Englewood Schools,” Rubin said. Rubin continues on Page 4
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PL E ASE RECYCLE T HI S C OPY
Slaying suspect allegedly dismembered body Englewood man accused of murdering his fiancee’s mother By Tom Munds
tmunds@colorado communitymedia.com John Edward Brant, 32, is accused of second-degree murder in the strangling death of 55-yearold Englewood resident Jackie Degarmo. Brant, who appeared in Arapahoe County Court May 14, allegedly killed Degarmo on Feb. 21, then cut off her head and hands before dumping her body in Clear Creek County near Idaho Springs. The victim and her daughter, Alisia Blythe, who is also Brant’s fiancée, lived in the 4000 block of South Logan Street. According to police reports, hikers found Degarmo’s torso
on May 3 and notified the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. In an effort to identify the victim, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office sent out information regarding the remains as well as a photo of the victim’s distinctive left-shin tattoo of a heart and flowers connected by a vine. Englewood police received the bulletin and connected it to a missing person report made by Blythe on April 24 regarding Degarmo. Blythe told police her mother was last seen on Feb. 21. Contacted by Englewood detectives, Blythe confirmed Degarmo had a tattoo similar to that in the picture provided by the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. According to an arrest affidavit, Degarmo was involved in an argument with Brant and her daughter on Feb. 21. Degarmo reportedly swung a stick at Blythe, which upset Brant. Blythe told investigators that Brant strangled
Degarmo, then took the body into the backyard and placed it in the snow; she claimed she did not know that the body was later transported to Clear Creek County and that Degarmo’s head and hands had Brant been removed. Blythe has not been arrested and currently faces no charges. Brant initially did not want to talk to investigators, but soon asked for a lawyer, according to the arrest affidavit. Brant then spoke out about the incident with Degarmo, telling officers he was “pushed” and that he is “not really a violent person.” Neighbors and others who knew Degarmo had differing opinions of the victim. Tracy Harrington, who went
to school with the Blythe, said Degarmo was very different and, at times, mean. But Sam Martinez, who used to live in the South Logan Street neighborhood, said the Degarmo he knew was always friendly and nice to him. “She did do things her own way, like the way she decorated her front yard,” he said. “But I was shocked when I heard she had been murdered. It is something that shouldn’t happen to anyone.” As of May 14, police were seeking the public’s help in locating Degarmo’s vehicle, a metallicblue 1997 Nissan 200SX pickup truck. The truck has Colorado plates with the license number 632LHE. Anyone with information about the vehicle is asked to contact Englewood police at 303761-7410. Brant is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County jail.