Serving the community since 1866
WEEK OF MAY 8, 2025
VOLUME 159 | ISSUE 19
$2
Trial now underway in Golden-area RV murder case Trial against Donald Harris expected to last through May 9 BY CORRINE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
GOLDEN CELEBRATES ANNUAL MARV KAY DAY P2
four were officers who died in 2023 or earlier. Hundreds of officers from Golden, Denver and beyond memorialized their fallen colleagues by laying wreaths, hosting a rifle salute, playing “Taps” and more. “We honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Special Agent in Charge Marc DellaSala of the U.S. Secret Service’s Denver Field Office said in the memorial address. “ … They joined the force because they wanted to leave their towns better than they found them.” The six officers’ families were also honored during the ceremony, as the honor guard folded special Colorado flags that were then presented to Dunn and Coski’s families. “Thank you for all your sacrifices,” DellaSala told the fallen officers’ families. Speaking on behalf of Dunn’s family, GPD Chief Joe Harvey said they’ve appreciated people respecting their privacy over the last six months, and asked that people continue to do so.
Two years ago, a 57-year-old man was found dead of a gunshot wound inside his RV at a Golden-area parking lot. Now, after several delays, the trial against the man charged with his murder is finally underway. Donald Harris, 52, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his acquaintance, Matthew Hire ,in spring 2023. Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office investigators believe Hire, 57, was killed in late March 2023, but his body wasn’t found until a few weeks later when a deputy found his RV door swinging open in the Wooly Mammoth Park-N-Ride lot off U.S. Highway 40. Harris has been charged with firstdegree murder, a felony charge of possession of a weapon by a previous offender and two sentence enhancers. He had a $2 million cashonly bond set in the case. Harris was originally scheduled for jury trial in early November, but it was delayed after the prosecution and defense ran out of candidates during jury selection. The trial was rescheduled and kicked off April 28 with successful jury selection. Based on pre-trial discussions, the prosecution and defenses plan to give closing remarks and start jury deliberations on or around May 7, with the hope that the jury would be back with a verdict by May 9. However, as Carrithers previously explained, it’s hard to tell how long jury deliberations could take for any given case. As the trial officially kicked off April 29, the prosecution described Harris as someone who was “looking to make a quick buck” and saw Hire as “the perfect target” in its opening statement.
SEE SACRIFICE, P15
SEE TRIAL, P6
Golden Police officers wear their dress uniforms during the May 2 Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial Day ceremony at Camp George West. Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn, who was killed in the line of duty Nov. 6, 2024, was among those honored during the ceremony. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
THERAPY HORSES HELP THOSE IN NEED P10
‘Those who made the ultimate sacrifice’ BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At Camp George West, just outside the Colorado State Patrol Academy building, there is a wall with 365 names written on it. The names are of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in Colorado, and every year since 1979, more names have been added to the list. This year, one of them was Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn. Dunn, 33, died Nov. 6 while responding to a traffic accident along Highway 58. He is the first GPD officer to be killed in the line of duty, city officials have confirmed. On May 2, hundreds of law enforcement officers and community members gathered at Camp George West to add Dunn and five other officers’ names to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial. Among those honored was Denver Police Officer Dale Coski, who died Sept. 26 from injuries she sustained while on duty in 1983. The other
WESTMINSTER
MINSTER RMAC ATHLETES SHINE AT CHAMPIONSHIPS P16
WINDOW
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13 | SPORTS: 16
WINDOW
GOLDENTRANSCRIPT.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA