Arvada 4.18.13
April 18, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourarvadanews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 8, Issue 47
High-flying
fun
Photos by Andy CArPeneAn
Lyle Erickson flies a dragon kite during the 11th annual Arvada Kite Festival Saturday, April 13, at Robby Ferrufino Park.
County plays defense Jeffco’s Weir requests added security
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Sigg pleads not guilty to Ridgeway murder By Ashley Reimers
By Glenn Wallace
First Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir asked the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners for its support in improving security for his staff at a briefing last week. “We’re in a dangerous business,” Weir said, adding the threat seemed real enough, and close enough that there was little time to waste. He specifically cited the shooting death of Tom Clements, executive director of Colorado’s Department of Corrections, on March 19. Weir called Clements a respected colleague and a close personal friend. The suspect in that shooting was a parolee, Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, who was later killed in a car chase and gun fight with law enforcement in Texas. “Mr. Ebel was prosecuted by my office. It was a Jefferson County Court that first put him away,” Weir said. Ebel’s long rap sheet has its start in Lakewood in 2003 with armed robbery and felony menacing according to court records. His more recent crimes have a Jeffco connection as well. In a grassy field that offers a decent view of the Jefferson County Courthouse, just a five-minute drive away, Ebel is believed to have dumped his murder victim Nathan Collin Leon on March 17. Two days later, Ebel is also suspected of having shot and killed Cle-
Jessica Hayine of Arvada untangles herself from kite string during the 11th annual Arvada Kite festival Saturday, April 13, at Robby Ferrufino Park. Jessica just completed her second round of chemotherapy.
Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Rob Neville helps a woman go through the security checkpoint at the entryway to the court side of the county building at 100 Jefferson County Parkway. Photo by Glenn Wallace ments at his Monument home. Investigators are still looking into whether the killing of Clements was an ordered assassination, or if Ebel was acting alone. Ebel was on parole at the time of the killings, and had spent the last few years in the Colorado prison system, where he became associated with the violent 211 white supremacist gang. The possible assassinations of a district attorney and an assistant district attorney in Texas have at least raised the possibility that prison gangs have chosen to target members of the justice system who helped put them behind bars, or help keep them there. “The problem is these dangerous folks also have dangerous associates, who are not in custody,” Weir said. Weir added that local law enforce-
ment agencies have begun making extra patrols around the houses of some of staff residences. Among Weir’s suggestions: Designated parking near a secure “County Employee’s Only” entrance, a secure shuttle bus service for DA staff, added video surveillance of the county courthouse grounds. Weir said a few other security ideas were being discussed with county staff, but would require time and money to be planned and implemented. The county sheriff’s department, which is responsible for courthouse security, is aware of the situation and has taken some steps to improve security, department Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley said. “They’re security measures, so we keep them pretty close to the vest,” Kelley said.
Austin Sigg, the teen accused of murdering 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, pleaded not guilty to all charges, including murder and kidnapping, during his arraignment on Friday. A trial is set to begin on Sept. 20 with jury selection. Sigg is facing 18 charges, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a child. During the preliminary hearing on Feb. 22, Westminster investigator Louis Lopez testified that Sigg confessed to the murder of Ridgeway during a 911 call. According to a tape played at the preliminary hearing, Sigg told the dispatcher “I murdered Jessica Ridgeway, I have proof.” He said the remains were in the crawl space at his home, and he was giving himself up completely. Police investigated Sigg’s home in Westminster and found the remains. Lopez testified that Ridgeway’s death was asphyxiation, according to the coroner. Sigg is accused of kidnapping and killing Ridgeway in early October 2012 while she was walking to school. He is also ac-
cused of attempting to abduct a woman jogging around Ketner Lake in May 2012. Sigg Detective Michael Lynch also testified during the preliminary hearing about an interview he had with Mindy Sigg, Austin’s mother. According to Lynch, Sigg told his mother that he did not rape Jessica. Lynch testified that Sigg told his mother that he grabbed Jessica as she walked by his car, put her in his back seat. Sigg told his mother he was a monster and that he was also responsible for the attempted abduction of the jogger as well, according to Lynch. Friday’s hearing was a continuation of a March arraignment, which at that time Sigg’s defense team asked for additional time to investigate possible defenses. Defense attorney Katherine Spengler told the judge the team needed the extra time to thoroughly go through every piece of discovery, which included 50,000 pages of information, 2,500 photos and 1,800 pieces of physical evidence.