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February 25, 2021
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
JeffcoTranscript.com
VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 33
Police closer to solving bowling alley murders New DNA evidence could bring justice for James Springer, Erin Golla, Robert Zajac Raya and Sisu from Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon.
COURTESY OF DISNEY
Wheat Ridge alum in Tinseltown Hometown artist bringing a Disney dragon to movie life BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, a tale about dragon magic, a world torn apart and the redeeming power of trust, comes to Disney+ March 5. And when the final credits roll, folks from Wheat Ridge and Arvada will see a name that just might be familiar. With a Hollywood career in visual effects and animation spanning more than three decades, Michael Talarico, who only officially relocated to California a couple of years ago, has spent a big part of his life right here in our neck of the woods. A graduate of Wheat Ridge High School, Talarico spent two years at
CSU before transferring to UCLA with his sights set on film school. He ended up studying animation instead, and soon he was working in various areas of the business as a model maker, cameraman and visual effects artist. Over the years, Talarico has racked up an impressive list of credits, working on movies like Sleepless in Seattle and The James Bond classic Die Another Day. But recently, animated blockbusters like Frozen, Moana, Zootopia and Ralph Breaks the Internet are where he’s focused most of his energy. Talarico works in the layout department, which he describes as being somewhat like an animated film’s cinematography department. As someone who’s been a part of the evolution of animated films, Talarico is far from jaded. His face lights up over a Zoom chat as he talks about the onscreen magic that makes these films come to life. “It always amazes me, it’s the
BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
absolute cutting edge of CG animation, and the talent at the studio, they just raise the bar every single movie,” he says. After years in California, his family came back to Colorado in 2007 and he was able to keep his visual effects career moving along. But when Disney came knocking, things got hectic. “Here’s the interesting thing about me and Colorado,” he says. “When I was asked to come to Disney Animation, I was living in Arvada. My wife and kids were there. So, I came to work at Disney at the beginning of 2013. By then, my daughters were in middle school and starting high school, and we didn’t want to take them out of that. So, I found a small studio apartment near the Disney studio in Burbank, and every two weeks I would fly home, get something to eat, say hi to the the family, spend
Investigators say they are drawing closer to solving one of the worst crimes in Littleton history, but they are still seeking people with information to come forward. Advances in DNA and genealogy technology have provided new investigative avenues in the 2002 triple murder of James Springer, Erin Golla and Robert Zajac at the AMF Broadway Lanes bowling alley, Littleton Police Chief Doug Stephens said at a press conference on Feb. 17. But investigators still need to hear from people with information about the crime, Stephens said, as a significant increase in the Crime Stoppers reward was announced. Stephens was joined at the press conference by an all-star lineup, including Michael Schneider, who heads the FBI’s Denver field office; District Attorney John Kellner, whose district includes Littleton; Mike Mills, who heads Metro Denver Crime Stoppers; and Mitch Morrissey, formerly Denver’s district attorney, who now heads United Data
SEE ALUM, P9
SEE MURDERS, P8
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | SPORTS: PAGE 19
‘A POWERFUL JOURNEY’ A church’s story of friendship, family and perseverance
P14