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November 21, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 52
CentennialCitizen.net A publication of
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Mother’s murderer gets life in prison
MOVING ON
Ari Liggett ‘knew right from wrong,’ district attorney says By Christy Steadman
csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Regis defender Donovan Doyle holds onto the jersey of Cherry Creek’s Milo Hall during a Nov. 14 Class 5A football playoff quarterfinal game. The tackle kept Hall from making a gain on the play, but the Bruin runner found the end zone twice during Cherry Creek’s 49-21 victory over the Raiders. Find more coverage on Page 22. Photo by Tom Munds
Tackling the age-3 gap Nonprofit launches new initiative for kids with special needs By Christy Steadman
csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Not many parents dread their child’s third birthday. But Kristin and Jared Hoover, parents of 2½-year-old Jacob, who has Down syndrome, worry that Jacob’s learning progression will cease when he turns 3. At 3, the family’s Developmental Pathways services — including Jacob’s occupational therapy — will terminate for two years, until he begins school when the state takes over to provide assistance. “Zero to 3 is covered,” Kristin said. “Three to 5, there’s kind of a gap.” And those two years are a critical time for growth and development in a child’s life, said Jason Berney, media and event planner for the SUN Foundation, the fundraising arm of Developmental Pathways. “Jacob has developed so incredibly well,” Kristin said, “but I worry about what happens to him from age 3 to 5. Will my son be able to eat with a fork or write his name by the time he goes to school?” Developmental Pathways is a Colorado nonprofit agency created to serve people, and their families, with developmental disabilities from birth to end of life. It works with six school districts in the Denver-metro area, including districts in Arapahoe and Douglas counties. The nonprofit’s Early Intervention Department provides much needed services and support for families until the age of 3. Recently, in an effort to help families with special needs children between the ages of 3 and 5, Developmental Pathways
Livia Liggett said her brother was definitely guilty. Definitely sane — but definitely extremely mentally ill. Ari Misha Liggett, 26, was sentenced Nov. 14 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2012 murder of his mother. “I don’t think anybody could ever imagine that their own family member would be capable of such a thing,” Livia Liggett said. “There were times when I was worried, when my mom was very worried, but I never thought that he would be capable of committing a crime like this.” Ari Liggett, of Centennial, was arrested Oct. 17, 2012, after law enforcement found the dismembered corpse of Beverly Liggett, 56, in the back of his gold Honda CRV. Autopsy reports reveal that Beverly Liggett died of cyanide poisoning. He told police he did not kill his mother, but did hope to hide the body so he could use her credit cards, calling on “two friends from jail to help get rid of the Liggett problem,” police reports state. Ari Liggett believed if no one knew his mother was dead, he could spend her money, investigators say. Livia Liggett said she observed symptoms of her brother’s mental illness getting worse in September 2012. She said certain behaviors, like standing and staring at a wall for hours, occurred regardless of whether he was on his medication. “For as long as I can remember, my family has moved heaven and earth to try and get him help,” she said. But nothing helped Ari, she testified Oct. 29. Although evidence proved the instability of Liggett’s mental condition, a court-ordered competency exam conducted in February 2013 deemed Liggett competent to stand trial. At sentencing, the prosecution told the
Murderer continues on Page 4
The Hoover Family, from left, Kristin, holding Jacob, a 2½-year-old boy with Down syndrome, and Jared, right, share their story Nov. 13 at the SUN-Raiser Breakfast Ask to advocate for Developmental Pathways’ 3+ Initiative. The initiative will help families with children between the ages 3 and 5 with developmental disabilities. Photo by Christy Steadman launched the 3+ Initiative. “The 3+ Iniative was created out of the desperation of our families looking for support,” said Melanie Worley, CEO of Developmental Pathways. “We need community support in order for this initiative to be successful.” The new 3+ Iniative was developed within the last six months, and its first public outreach event was a SUN-Raiser Breakfast Ask, which took place Nov. 13 at the Denver Tech Center Marriot. The event will most likely become annual, Berney said. It will cornerstone the nonprofit’s main event, the Pathway Client Achievement Awards, which takes place in the spring every year. Developmental Pathways, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, serves 5,500 people, with an additional 2,200 on a wait-list to receive the nonprofit’s services. The organization can provide
services for any developmental disability, Berney said, but most commonly, it helps those with autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. “There are 500 stories just like Jacob’s,” said Deb Bosch, the SUN Foundation’s director. These children need the support that can come from the 3+ Initiative, she added. “It will impact them forever,” Worley said. “We are confident that the 3+ Initiative will help bridge the gap.” Depending on the individual needs of each child, one kid can potentially have a therapy team of three to 10 people, Bosch said. And each therapy session can cost up to $90 an hour. Developmental Pathways can help match individuals with a team of therapists, and help the families Gap continues on Page 9
Livia Liggett, the sister of Ari Liggett, a man who will serve a life sentence for the murder of his mother, issues a statement to the press after her brother’s sentencing hearing on Nov. 14. “My brother is definitely guilty,” she said, and added that despite his struggles with mental illness, he was “definitely sane.” Photo by Christy Steadman