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October 16, 2014 VO LUME 1 26 | IS S UE 1 2 | 7 5 ¢
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
LittletonIndependent.net
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ABOVE: Arapahoe County Sheriff David Walcher talks Oct. 10 about the criminal investigation of the Dec. 13, 2013 shooting at Arapahoe High School that killed student Claire Davis, along with the shooter, Karl Pierson. Seated along the wall are, from left, District Attorney George Brauchler, Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy, and Claire’s parents, Michael and Desiree Davis. LEFT: Brauchler listens to a question from a member of the media during the press conference regarding the conclusion of the criminal investigation into the Arapahoe High shooting. Photos by Christy Steadman
Shooter planned attack for weeks No criminal liability found on part of school district in Arapahoe High attack By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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LITTLETON INDEPENDENT (ISSN 1058-7837) (USPS 315-780) OFFICE: 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Littleton Independent 7315 S. Revere Pkwy., Ste. 603 Centennial, CO 80112 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US
P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Karl Pierson set the date for his murderous rampage at Arapahoe High School eight weeks prior to carrying it out on Dec. 13, 2013. “It is a day of gore, filled with murder, suicide,” he wrote on Oct. 26 of that year. The words are in a computer diary uncovered by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the murder of Arapahoe student Claire Davis and the attempted murders of a student sitting near her and debate coach Tracy Murphy. Arapahoe County Sheriff Dave Walcher detailed the investigation during a press conference Oct. 10, saying it revealed no criminal liability on the part of the school district. The sheriff’s office released a 37-page report that summarizes about 4,000 pages of supporting documents. But reporters pressured Walcher and Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy about whether more could have been done between September 2013, when Pierson was suspended for threatening the debate coach, and the day Pierson took his own life in the school library after mortally wounding Davis.
Micki Jacoby, the step-mother of former Arapahoe High School security guard Cameron Rust talks to members of the media following the conclusion of the Oct. 10 press conference at the Arapahoe County Sheriff ’s Office. Jacoby spoke about Rust’s experience and his desire to hear the truth come out. According to the report, Tracy Murphy certainly had concerns after removing Pierson as the captain of a debate team on Sept. 3, 2013. “Tracy never had a kid look at him with the look of hatred that Karl did that day,” reads the report. “It was `haunting’ how Karl looked at him.” Later that day, Pierson was heard screaming that he was going to kill Tracy Murphy. Arapahoe continues on Page 39
School district leader to retire Scott Murphy has been with LPS for 24 years By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy announced on Oct. 9 that he’ll retire after the close of this school year. “I was looking at doing this earlier, but with all of the events of this year, I decided to wait,” he told the members of the LPS Board of Education during their regular meeting. Murphy’s retirement will be effective June 15, 2015. The announcement came Murphy on the evening before he was slated to stand with Arapahoe County Sheriff Dave Walcher and District Attorney George Brauchler to release the results of the investigation into the shooting at Arapahoe High School on Dec. 13 of last year. It was also the evening the board passed a resolution supporting Safe Schools Month following a discussion of actions taken since the shooting. The board has approved $810,000 for an in-house mental-health clinic and $200,000 for additional school resource officers. The Littleton Police Department has also secured a grant for an SRO dedicated to the Whitman/Options campus, which houses the district’s alternative schools. “We’re working with our partners to make safety our highest priority,” said Melissa Cooper, director of special education/student support services. Board President Lucie Stanish said the board will be working with a search firm to find Murphy’s replacement in time for the 2015-16 school year. “There’s a lot going on, but we’re LPS, so everything will be OK,” said boardmember Kelly Perez. Murphy served as the district’s chief financial officer and assistant superintendent for 16 years before taking the helm as superintendent in 2006. He began his career as a social worker in Boulder and Larimer counties in 1978.
Coffman, Romanoff turn up heat in CD6 race By Vic Vela vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com The mutual dislike between two candidates who are locked in a tight 6th Congressional District race was on full display during an Oct. 6 debate in Denver. It has been a bruising campaign between Republican Congressman Mike Coffman and Democratic former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff — and the KUSA-TV-sponsored debate showed that there are no signs of the two letting up on each other any time soon. When Romanoff accused Coffman of supporting tax cuts to companies that ship jobs oversees, Coffman turned toward his rival with an index finger pointed in his direction. “You’re distorting my record exactly how you did to Sen. (Michael) Bennet in 2010, no differ-
ent,” said a scolding Coffman. Coffman was referring to the brutal 2010 Senate Democratic primary between Bennet and Romanoff, one that was littered with negative ads. Bennet’s name re-surfaced later in the 30-minute debate when the subject turned to budget votes. Romanoff blasted Coffman’s support in Congress for a Republican-backed budget that Romanoff feels is unfair to the middle class. “The budget plan that Congressman Coffman supports would allow millionaires lavish tax breaks while forcing middle class families to pay more,” Romanoff said. “You’re still running the same campaign that you ran against Sen. Bennet, no exception — you’re still the same candidate,” Coffman said in response, adding that his budget votes in
Congress required “courage” to address the national debt. Coffman continued to fire back at Romanoff’s remarks. “I think it is absolutely gutless for you to say you’re for a balanced budget and then not show what path you’re gonna do to get there; not show what cuts you’re going to do to get there,” Coffman said. Romanoff scolded Coffman for his “personal attacks.” That has been a familiar retort on the part of Romanoff throughout the campaign as Coffman has often mocked his opponent’s Ivyleague schooling while touting his own military record. “Using these words over and over again doesn’t make them true,” Romanoff said. “Frankly, congressman it just discourages people from voting. Maybe that’s your goal.”