Norwood child deaths

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montrosepress.com | Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Commissioners, sheriff look to oppose ‘red flag’ legislation •Critiques revolve around 2nd Amendment •Vote on resolution: March 20 •Lillard in favor of ‘sanctuary county’

BY JUSTIN TUBBS JUSTINT@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Street building before John called about the unoccupied funeral home.

“I immediately thought this would work. This is amazing,” Bechthold said.

The prior tenant, Sunset Mesa, is embroiled in an FBI investigation and multiple civil suits over the alleged harvesting and selling of human remains without the proper consent of nextof-kin. The FBI served warrants at the funeral home and associated Donor Services Inc. in February 2018. No charges have been filed. Sunset Mesa subsequently had its crematory and funerary registrations suspended by the state, then surrendered them permanently. The state, in public documents, accused the entity and operator Megan Hess of returning cement mix instead of cremains to some families; incorrect ashes to another; record-keeping irregularities and other “willful” violations

Montrose county commissioners and Sheriff Gene Lillard met Monday to discuss the “red flag” gun bill currently making its way through the Colorado Legislature.

The bill would allow law enforcement agencies to take firearms from people if a judge decides they are at risk of harming themselves or others.

Lillard, Commissioner Roger Rash and Commissioner Keith Caddy spoke out in opposition of the bill, saying it restricts Second Amendment rights and sets a bad precedent for future gun control laws.

“I strongly support the fact that we need to protect our Second Amendment rights at all costs,” Lillard said. “I think this is just another chip in our armor to cause problems later on down the road.

I do understand there is problems with people committing suicide. I think that should be early intervention. That should be my family members and also professional people that can intervene and help that from happening. I’m in favor of a sanctuary county regarding our Second Amendment rights.”

Several counties across the state have adopted resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in one form or another in recent weeks, in response to the so-called red flag bill.

Custer, Fremont, Kiowa, Montezuma, Otera, Weld, Moffat, Rio Blanco and El Paso counties have all adopted such resolutions. Last week, Lillard joined in on the chorus against the bill, prompting the Monday morning meeting with commissioners.

Commissioners Monday expressed intention to vote on a resolution decrying the red flag bill during the March 20 Board of County Commissioners meeting.

See LIFE CHOICES page 3

See SANCTUARY page 4

Realtor John Renfrow, left, stands with Gigi Bechthold and Clay Patterson by the new Life Choices sign in front of their newly acquired building. (Monica Garcia/ Montrose Daily Press)

Faith-based family resource center moving to former Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors • Move finalized Monday • Life Choices staff says larger space benefits patients • Finding new owners took 6 months

BY ANDREW KISER ANDREWK@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

A local Christian family resource center finalized a deal Monday to acquire and move into the former Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors location, 155 Merchant Drive.

Life Choices Family Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps women and men who are in need of free services related to pregnancy and sexual health, currently located at 200 S. Fourth St., decided to change locations as a way to expand resources to new parents and provide more room for staff, said executive director Gigi Bechthold.

is

Life Choices Family Resource Center

“That building has just suited our needs,” she said. “It was built big enough (so we) could have more office space and more space for our clients.”

Adam Renfrow, of Renfrow Realty, who helped broker the deal alongside his brother John Renfrow and agent Joey Huskey, said seeing the Life Choices staff walk through the building and determining how the space will be converted has been amazing to watch.

Adam said finding a buyer had been difficult. The property, previously owned by the Huffer family of Montrose, stayed on the market for six months until John showed the space to Bechthold.

Bechthold said Life Choices just couldn’t seem to find the right the spot, prior to seeing the building. The center even considered adding onto the Fourth

Norwood child deaths trial: Girl ‘imprisoned’ in car

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Spiritual beliefs led Frederick “Alec” Blair to the same religious group as child-deaths defendant Ashford Archer — and, ultimately to him helping his “teacher” cover with a tarp the car where sisters Makayla Roberts and Hannah Marshall died on his Norwood property in 2017, he testified Monday.

Blair said he saw the foot of the elder girl, 10-year-old Roberts — also called LaToya and “Pink 1” — sticking out of a window and used a shovel to push it back inside before he and Archer tied a tarp over the car with tow straps, duct tape and other items.

“There were two deceased children in the vehicle,” Blair said Monday, during Archer’s trial for two counts of fatal child abuse and accessory to a crime. Blair was also once charged with those offenses, but pleaded to the accessory charge and agreed to testify for the prosecution.

Three others also are charged in the case, including group leader Madani Ceus; the girls’ mother, Nashika Bramble and Ika Eden, who has been deemed legally incompetent.

The children were part of a religious group that traveled the country for about two years before

Ceus and an uncharged person considered her “right-hand” man encountered Blair at a Grand Junction truck stop and he invited them onto his Norwood property.

When the girls were found Sept. 8, 2017, their bodies were partially mummified. Pathologists could not pinpoint a cause of death, but said the children were subjected to periods of starvation, according to Deputy District Attorney Seth Ryan on Monday.

Neither Blair nor multiple other people on his property during the summer of 2017 was initially aware of Marshall, until he heard reference to “Pink 2,” Blair testified.

Initially, he did nothing about it, but in July of 2017, he said he asked Ceus and Archer if there was a second Pink. After conferring with Ceus, Archer reportedly took Blair to a gray sedan and opened the door.

“He showed me there were two children in the vehicle, one of which I had never seen before,” Blair said. The child, Marshall, 8, wore pink. “I didn’t know how to react. I was stunned and slightly confused. I confronted Ms. Ceus.”

Marshall was playing with some paper as her sister sat next to her, Blair testified.

“They looked a little skinny, but they didn’t seem to be unhealthy to me,” he said.

At the time, Eden and Bramble were sleeping nights in the car; after Blair was shown the girls, they began sleeping in his truck, he said.

At the beginning of his testimony, Blair explained he had been part of the Rastafari

Case at a glance • Deceased: Makayla Roberts, 10, and Hannah Marshall, 8. The sisters’ partially mummified bodies were found Sept. 8, 2017, in a vehicle on a Norwood farm that at the time belonged to Frederick “Alec” Blair.

• Ashford Archer is currently on trial for fatal child abuse and as an accessory to a crime.

• Madani Ceus, the alleged leader of the religious group to which the defendants belonged, is charged with first-degree murder and fatal child abuse; trial is slated to begin April 29.

• Nashika Bramble, the girls’ mother, is charged with first-degree murder and fatal child abuse; trial is slated to begin July 8.

• Ika Eden, charged with fatal child abuse, was last year deemed legally incompetent to stand trial and is being held in the state hospital until she has been deemed restored to competency.

• Blair, initially charged with fatal child abuse and as an accessory to a crime, pleaded guilty to the latter charge and agreed to testify for the prosecution. Sentencing was tentatively set for May 30.

Blair encountered the group at a Grand Junction truck stop in May 2017 and invited them to stay on his Norwood property, where they engaged in religious councils and other activity, according to his testimony.

According to authorities’ allegations, Ceus at some point ordered first one of the girls, and then the other, to be kept in a vehicle on the property so they could be purified from past unclean spirits.

Their bodies were discovered after Blair’s father visited the property in September 2017. The exact cause of death was not determined, but pathologists suspect heat, dehydration and starvation played a role.

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Published for the Uncompahgre Valley and Melanie Medina of Grand Junction

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•Blair details spiritual activities at farm •Archer on trial in deaths of two young sisters •Codefendant initially unaware of second girl

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movement and had extensively studied ancient religious texts and documents.

He purchased about 20 acres in Norwood on which to grow hemp, vegetables and medical marijuana, in partnership with his friend, River Young.

In May, 2017, Blair was taking Young to Denver to catch a flight when they stopped at a Grand Junction truck stop for something to eat.

There, a man later identified as Eden’s son, Cory Sutherland, approached Blair, apparently because of the head covering Blair wore as part of his religion.

What followed was an extensive conversation and meal with Sutherland’s family — Ceus, Archer, their two minor daughters, Eden, Bramble, and others.

Sutherland called Ceus over and said that Blair was “the guy we’ve been waiting for. … He’s a (St.) Michael,” Blair testified, paraphrasing based on his memory.

Blair ultimately invited the group to return with him to Norwood when he got back from Denver.

In lengthy testimony, Blair discussed the group’s spirituality and his gradual inclusion into the belief system that put Ceus at the top: She was Ama (Mother) and gradually took from Archer the title of Aba (Father), as well as Yahweh (God).

Beneath her was Sutherland, who left the farm before the girls died, after confronting Ceus about her leadership, per Blair’s testimony. Archer followed in the pecking order; Bramble and Eden were more “subservient,” Blair said.

According Blair, Ceus portrayed herself “as essentially the mother of the universe, the creator in flesh.”

The group constructed an 8-foot-by-8-foot shack as an “altar” area for Ceus and a place to hold councils

and establishing personal core values.

Courses will be more readily available with the move. The nonprofit’s education coordinator, Bechthold, believes the move will benefit the center’s teenage clientele.

Life Choices current space, which is only two blocks gh School, is too close to the educational institution, meaning pregnant teens who don’t want to be seen at the center may avoid it, Bechthold explained.

The nonprofit has tentative plans to move to its new home later this spring with a potential open house in June.

For more information about the Life Choices Family Resource Center, call 970249-4302 or visit lifechoicesmontrose.org.

Andrew Kiser is the Montrose Daily Press’ sports/business writer. Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kpress.

LIFE CHOICES FROM PAGE A1

of the Mortuary Science Act. “We feel like we’re bringing life where there wasn’t life,” Bechthold said, of acquiring the building.

Adam said he thinks of Life Choices going in at the location as a complete turnaround for the property.

“As a faith-based organization and being able to believe in redemption and what God’s doing — bringing light and hope — is pretty awesome,” Renfrow said.

Life Choices provides free maternal assistance, local referrals, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling and education from prenatal through early childhood.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019 A3

the altar-shack, as well as to information about his Aug. 9, 2017 contact with Blair.

All witnesses will provide corroborating evidence that the group ignored the children, thereby conspiring to commit child abuse, the DDA said.

Other testimony goes to the allegation Blair or Archer had a vision the police were coming, and so, they secured a tarp over the car.

Blair’s father and another man can offer testimony about finding the car on or about Sept. 8, 2017, filled with flies, and the stench of decomposition.

Additionally, two pathologists can offer evidence supporting the accessory charge, as they found the girls had suffered “several distinct periods of starvation” prior to dying.

District Judge Keri Yoder questioned Ryan closely, asking for evidence of a conspiracy not to feed the girls and evidence of Archer’s involvement as specific phases.

Ryan said Archer knew Marshall was imprisoned in the car, and that he was present when Ceus allegedly said the girls should not be fed.

Yoder ultimately allowed several of the disputed statements to be admitted under exceptions to hearsay rules.

But Reisch, earlier, said there was no conspiracy as required to support such exceptions.

“There’s never been any conspiracy to conceal a child on a property,” he said. Nor was there a conspiracy to deny children food as part of a conspiracy.

“It’s simply not there,” Reisch said.

Katharhynn Heidelberg is an award-winning journalist and the senior writer for the Montrose Daily Press. Follow her on Twitter @kathMDP.

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TRIAL

into the car because she was not working sufficiently on addressing her past lives.

The girl was denied elements of fellowship: In one instance, she was forbidden to drink the waters of Bridal Veil Falls after a ceremony there.

In July of 2017, Blair stopped seeing Roberts around, and noticed she was spending her time near the gray car in which her body was later found.

Subsequent statements from the prosecution indicated Roberts “was not sealed, was going into the purge and there was nothing anyone could do about it, because it was Ceus’ will.”

Blair was said to have dreamed the girl was sitting next to an alligator, which reportedly led to a discussion by the council.

Defense attorney Scott Reisch peppered Ryan’s line of questioning with objection after objection, based on hearsay and lack of foundation.

Late afternoon, with the predominantly female jury out of the room, Ryan made his case for allowing upcoming testimony from deputies and others.

He sought an exception to hearsay evidence under rules that allow hearsay when it involves the statements of co-conspirators in furtherance of a conspiracy.

“We’re talking about child abuse and accessory (conduct) that includes the imprisonment of Hannah in the car,” Ryan said.

He intends to present witnesses who will testify that Archer preached about end-times and purity, and that at the time of the full moon in August 2017, the bulk of the group moved to the perimeter the altar-shack and engaged in full-time religious activity.

“The girls were ignored for several weeks,” Ryan said.

He also wants to put on the stand a San Miguel County Sheriff ’s Office deputy who will testify about the amount of food and utensils he found near

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where dreams and visions were interpreted.

Blair characterized Archer as a spiritual mentor, who decreed his Rastafari beliefs “bullshit.”

“It was not true knowledge. True knowledge came from within,” Blair said.

Archer also told him that when it came to the laws of man versus the laws of God, “The things that man cherishes re not the things God cherishes. What man thinks is good is bad in the eyes of God.” Blair eventually went from wearing regular work clothes and his Rastafari head covering to wearing a mono-colored robe and head dressing like the rest of the group. Archer, he said, told him that those who wear the clothes of the world will be cut down.

Blair looked up to Archer.

“I felt that he was an elder, a teacher to me. The relationship was teacher to student,” he said.

Eventually, Blair began spending more time with the group and the farm’s gardens began to wither.

When Young returned, the condition of the farm upset him, so he confronted the group, displeasing Ceus, Blair said.

The group members began pitching in with some of the farm work, but Ceus decreed Young would no longer be fed with anything she cooked.

“It was decided River should no longer be present on the farm,” Blair said, although he wasn’t sure who gave that order. He told his friend at the end of June to leave.

Young’s was not the only departure: Sutherland, whom Blair characterized as “erratic, talking to trees,” and eventually unable to fill a glass with water, also left.

Blair said the man confronted Ceus over her leadership role, which made the woman “unhappy and frustrated.”

Blair also testified as to Roberts’ place in the spiritual activities.

He said the girl placed

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montrosepress.com | Friday, March 22, 2019

DCMH offers pain med alternative for labor • Offered in Delta, soon in Montrose • Utilized in other countries • Alternative to narcotics

BY MONICA GARCIA MONICAG@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Kailey Rivenburgh, an employee for the City of Montrose, stands in front of a big wall graphic of the Black Canyon at the visitors center in Montrose on Wednesday. (Christina Martin/ Montrose Daily Press)

Black Canyon visits edging up • Slight dip seen in Curecanti visits • City, others promote park as mutual benefit • Winter snows benefit summer boaters

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Visitors showed the Black Canyon of the Gunnison much love in 2018, when 308,962 people enjoyed the popular attraction and its programs. Up the road, the Curecanti National Recreation Area saw visitations drop compared to 2017, although it still attracted more than Black Canyon visit stats 931,000.

2013: 175,852 The 2018 numbers at Black Canyon, 2014: 183,045 an increase of about 2015: 209,166 1 percent compared 2016: 238,018 with 2017’s, mark the 2017: 307,143 highest recorded visitation since 1992. For 2018: 308,962 Curecanti, which encompasses Blue Mesa Curecanti visit stats Reservoir, visits hit the 2013: 814,163 lowest since 2014.

2014: 931,367 “It’s definitely the 2015: 944,742 drought, lower water levels. I think that 2016: 982,498 had a lot to do with 2017: 1.041 million it,” Black Canyon 2018: 931,512 and Curecanti Superintendent Bruce Noble said.

The situation is a little different with respect to the Black Canyon.

“Given the growth in visitation at Black Canyon in recent years, I was surprised the upswing wasn’t greater,” Noble said.

“Some factors that I think account for the upswing is Black Canyon continues to get more attention. I think the City of Montrose works very hard to promote the Black Canyon.”

Additionally, Vail Resorts “Epic” pass gives holders some access to Telluride and Crested Butte, and that brings visitors close to the Black Canyon; Noble said he believes that is also helping drive numbers.

The park is a springboard for Montrose marketing, too.

“The Black Canyon is one of our Rhoderick strongest assets. We were able to piggyback on the marketing the National Park Service does to promote this park, with hopes people will come visit, stay and enjoy Montrose, as well as the park itself,” said Kelly Rhoderick, City of Montrose director of marketing and tourism.

National parks are especially appealing to international travelers, who find the Western United States intriguing, she said: “We get a lot of our international guests because of the park and our location.”

Although some people visit both Black Canyon and Curecanti, there are discrete visitor populations as well, Noble said.

“I think what we see at Curecanti is a lot of local visitors who come back again and again to visit a favorite fishing hole,” Noble said. Locals are aware of water levels and when they are down, they won’t visit as much.

Black Canyon tends to attract a different set of users. “You’re getting the classic family vacationers at Black Canyon. You don’t see that quite as much at Curecanti,” Noble said.

Seasonal programming at the Black Canyon, such as snowshoeing in the winter and dark skies/astronomy events in warmer months also help with visitation, he said. On Thursday, the South Rim Road remained closed, but is groomed for skiing and attracting enthusiasts.

“I think they (programs) definitely draw in more people. The same is true at Curecanti. The programs are a draw in both parks,” Noble said.

The park and the NCA help drive the regional economy. According to the last available economic See VISITORS page 3

Expecting mothers in the area will have an alternative when it comes to managing pain — nitrous oxide gas.

Yes, just like the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, expecting mothers will be able to use the gas to help alleviate anxiety, manage pain and even use it alongside the standard epidural at Stork’s Landing Obstetrics unit at Delta Memorial Hospital.

“I think the other thing about Delta hospital is I think we are really open to alternatives,” said Jody Roeber, chief clinical officer for DCMH. “We’re definitely in traditional Western medicine, but I think we’ve been really open to other ways to help patients relieve pain. … I think we’re open to the changing mindset of the community.”

Nitrous oxide gas, most commonly known as laughing gas, is known as a dental office tool but has been used by expectant mothers for years. Countries such as Canada, Australia, and Britain use it as a key tool to manage pain. Last year it was reported that there were about

500 hospitals in the U.S. that offer nitrous oxide gas.

During labor, the nitrous oxide gas is run through an FDAapproved machine. The patient is able to administer the gas to herself by holding a mask up to her face. It is timed around contractions, but in some cases it can be used for things like starting an IV drip, said Carol Swingle, clinic LDRP nurse manager in the OB unit at DCMH. One of the reasons laughing gas hasn’t been widely administered over the last few years is there wasn’t a good way to manage it, said Swingle. Now, the FDA has approved a few companies who sell machines that are able to administer the correct amount of gas for labor.

The amount of nitrous oxide used in labor is lower than what would be used in a dental office. The combination used is 50 percent nitrous oxide and 50 percent oxygen. The different concentrations create different strengths. This rate allows for pain control while not putting the user to sleep.

“The whole point is to relax and to be able to manage a lot of their pain control with it,” Swingle said.

It is important to offer alternatives because patients want control over their health, Roeber said. Healthcare See NITROUS OXIDE page 4

Nurses Kim Starling, left, and Ellen Luke train with nitrous oxide equipment. (Submitted photo)

Archer found guilty in child deaths trial •Prosecutors hail verdict •Defense will appeal; says Archer convicted of crimes he didn’t commit •Two more defendants face trial

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

A jury on Thursday convicted one of five people charged in the Norwood deaths of sisters Hannah Marshall and Makayla Roberts.

Ashford Archer was found guilty of two counts of child abuse resulting in death and of helping to conceal a crime. His defense had argued there was no evidence to prove Archer knew Hannah, 8, and Makayla, 10, were not receiving proper

nourishment and care.

The sisters were found dead in a car on a Norwood farm on Sept. 8, 2017; starvation, dehydration and overheating were the suspected causes, although pathologists could not say for certain, due to the level of decomposition.

“What’s important to understand is he was found guilty of acting knowingly and recklessly,” Deputy District Attorney Rob Whiting said after court.

The jury also had the option of convicting Archer of child abuse as a negligent act, a lesser offense.

“We’re just really thankful for the hard work that our team has put in,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Seth Ryan said after the verdict came

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down following a nearly threeweek trial. He cited victim services, advisory witness San Miguel County Sheriff ’s Office Investigator Dan Covault, DA spokeswoman Sherry McKenzie, and others.

Defense attorney Scott Reisch — who throughout the trial assailed forensics and witness credibility, as well as the state’s inability to say for certain how, when and where the girls died — said the verdict will be appealed.

“It will be based upon the court’s denial of legal issues to include, but not limited to, expanding a duty that has never existed under the law in Colorado and allowing in science that is so unreliable it has been rejected by every court in

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the country when it was tried to be admitted. Here, it was learned while in court that the test that was permitted was not followed in accordance with the testing lab’s own standard operating procedures,” he said via email.

The prosecution introduced samples tested by an iso-forensics lab; Reisch during trial suggested the testing methods were unreliable, that the samples were contaminated, and the results had been “fudged.”

The case also will be appealed as to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a conviction, he said.

Archer was among the members of a religious group who encountered Norwood resident Frederick “Alec” Blair in May

2017. Blair spoke with the group for a number of hours, before inviting them to stay at his farm; he also Archer began following the group’s ways, rising to the level of being declared “Ra,” according to testimony.

Blair said he had not initially known Hannah was on his property, only her sister. Trial testimony indicated Hannah was kept in the car and that Makayla was ultimately forced to join her there; the group allegedly believed the girls needed to be “purified.”

Published for the Uncompahgre Valley and Joel Landon Watts of Delta

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A4 FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019

NITROUS OXIDE FROM PAGE A1

No obituaries were submitted for today’s edition

providers have an obligation to stay current on methods, listen to the community and try to meet their needs, she added.

This is not the first time nitrous oxide gas was used for birthing in the U.S. It started in the ’30s but fell out of favor around the ’70s, when epidurals became the standard of care for pain control, Swingle said.

“I think in medicine we go through phases, and we went through a very natural phase like in the ’70s and nobody wanted medication or anything,” said Roeber. “Then we went to, I worked OB for awhile, for quite a few years, and everyone wanted an epidural. … I think we are beginning to go back to a phase where women are wanting to be treated as naturally as possible but there’s an alternative other than epidurals that keep them in bed and narcotics.”

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Nitrous oxide allows mothers the option to have a more natural birth, she added. Some patients are afraid of epidurals, and because laughing gas can be used in conjunction with them, it may ease the woman’s overall anxiety.

Humans’ perspective on pain increases dramatically when one is anxious and scared, Roeber said. Anything that can be done to decrease anxiety will then lower the need for narcotics or other pain medicines.

“It’s a safe method for some … and pain control, it’s inhaled and exhaled so it burns off really quickly one or two breaths of just room air actually clears it, but it helps women relax meanwhile” Swingle said. “Studies have shown there is no difference in c-section rates or lower Agar scores when the baby is born. It’s metabolized so much faster than an IV narcotic.”

Narcotics are proven to control pain better, but they have a more lasting effect, she added. These can’t be given too frequently, and

they have to be given at the right time to avoid harm to the baby.

Nitrous oxide is not used in place of an epidural, Swingle said, but it can help bridge the gap before the epidural is given or it may help the mother breathe through contractions.

Other alternative options for pain control at DCMH include: music massage, aromatherapy in the room and each room has jetted tubs.

Another advantage of nitrous oxide: It comes at a cheaper cost to the family, said DCMH Marketing Director Jacque Davis said.

Those looking for more information about pain management alternatives can find a lot online. This would be worked into the mother’s birthing plan ahead of time.

Those attending prenatal classes have inquired about laughing gas, but the treatment won’t start until the end of the month. The policies are signed off and training has been completed.

Monica Garcia is the news editor at the Montrose Daily Press.

Montrose Memorial Hospital

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As far as nitrous oxide goes, Montrose Memorial Hospital isn’t far behind the trend.

Director of the Family Center Courtney Cryer said they have budgeted for the use of nitrous oxide, and are now looking at implementing it. Cryer expanded saying the hospital is looking to give women another option for pain management during labor.

A couple years ago, Cryer wanted to offer this treatment, but a few of the rules and regulations kept the hospital from offering it. Now that more hospitals have implemented it and the rules and regulations are different, the hospital should be

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According to information and testimony at trial, the children were last known to have been fed July 20, 2017. The rest of the group moved to another part of Blair’s 20acre property to prepare for the August eclipse, after which “three days of darkness” had been prophesied by purported

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allowed to offer it, she added.

“The women have the capability of administering it themselves when they feel like the pain is too much in labor and they can hold the mask up to themselves and (administer) the nitrous,” Cryer said of the benefit of using laughing gas.

Cryer is currently working on establishing policies and working with the anesthesia department to ensure they are going to be supportive. Once this step is done, this will all be run through the OB committee for approval.

The availability of this method of treatment is still a couple months out, she said.

group leader Madani Ceus.

Blair testified he was eventually told the children were dead in the car. Blair and Archer covered the car with a tarp; neither they nor any of the other members informed authorities, according to testimony.

During the summer, Blair’s friends had become increasingly alarmed about his change in behavior. They acted when they found his dog starving on the property; Blair testified that he intended to kill the dog after Ceus decreed him “an abomination.”

After Blair’s friends informed his parents of what they were seeing at his property, his father and a friend visited the farm Sept.

8, 2017. At last, Blair told his father about the two dead children. The father called police.

Prosecutors said Archer, Ceus and co-defendants Nashika Bramble and Ika Eden, plus Blair, all knew the children had been ordered to the car and were denied food for a lengthy period, yet did nothing.

Archer, according to his taped interrogation, said he thought the children’s mother, Bramble, was taking care of them. According to Covault’s testimony, Archer admitted to helping Blair tarp the car.

“Appellate courts exist exactly for cases just like this where emotions control more than evidence, or in this case, the lack of evidence,” Reisch said.

“Mr. Archer was convicted of crimes he did not commit. We appreciate the jurors’ work on such a lengthy trial. Our jury system could not work without citizens fulfilling their jury service.

“We believe we will prevail on appeal.”

Ryan during his closing arguments Wednesday said Archer knew what was happening and, like others, had a duty to act but did not.

“We as a prosecution emphasized this was very much a case built on narrative,” Whiting said. “I think anytime you get all the information before a jury, in the form of so much testimony, it speaks to the

quality of the investigation, from the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, and the amount of work support services from the DA’s office.”

“It was the culmination of a lot of hours by virtually every person in our agency,” Covault said.

Archer’s sentencing was set for June 4 in San Miguel County.

Ceus is charged with first-degree murder and fatal abuse. Her trial is set to begin April 29.

Bramble is also charged with first-degree murder and fatal abuse. Her trial is slated for July 8.

Blair previously pleaded guilty to an accessory count and is to be sentenced May 30.

Eden, charged with fatal child abuse, has been deemed legally incompetent and is being held in the state mental hospital until legal competency has been restored.

Katharhynn Heidelberg is the senior writer for the Montrose Daily Press.

Follow her on Twitter @kathMDP.

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Sales tax needed to boost police ops, council told •Fact-finding committee: Police overworked, understaffed •Millions needed for more officers, bigger facility •Crime growing along with population

• DA sought total of 70 years • Archer says he was falsely portrayed • Judge ‘struck’ by disparity of codefendant’s max possible sentence

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG

KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Crime is “a cancer” growing on Montrose and the special committee tasked with assessing law enforcement needs has recommended a sales tax to help combat it.

Montrose City Council will have to determine the appropriate amount to ask voters, but growth and crime stats support the need for 20 additional full-time equivalent, sworn and nonsworn positions at the Montrose Police Department, as well as facility renovations, J. David Reed said Tuesday, speaking on behalf of the city-appointed Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee.

In a nutshell, officers are spread too thin as it is, and crime is expected to increase, plus, a larger facility is needed, the committee’s report indicates.

Figures from that report show more than $3 million needed for the first year of the additional 20 positions and more than $2 million a year thereafter. Facility expansion to a multi-story building for police operations, plus transforming the existing police station into the city attorney’s office and municipal court building, carries an estimated price tag between $10.4 and $12 million.

Montrose has grown commercially and residentially, Reed said. “Also with that growth comes the dirty underbelly of increased crime … and increases on law enforcement expenses, facilities, operations and activities,” he said.

24 years imposed in sisters’ deaths

Public Safety Citizen Advisory Committee (PSCAC) member David Reed, left, delivers the committee’s final report to members of the Montrose City Council Tuesday evening. (William Woody/ City of Montrose)

“To be clear, we do not single Montrose out, relative to current crime statistics. … We only say this to point out as a recognition of an existing condition, that while troubling, can and I believe, will, be dealt with proactively and successfully.”

The committee’s “recipe” entails a new policing model, “Intelligence-led Policing,” which addresses reactive and proactive approaches to fighting crime, Reed said.

“It is important to the committee to communicate to you and for all of us to communicate to our citizens that crime in Montrose is alive and well and as such, should be of paramount concern to all our citizens,” he said.

The committee’s report is not intended to alarm, Reed assured: “But to the contrary, to heighten our awareness as a

community to the cancer of crime that lies within our midst. We can proactively work to surgically remove its impacts in our community today and for the future,” Reed said.

The city convened the public safety committee last June, after since-retired police Chief Tom Chinn and others spoke of a possible need for more officers and an expanded police station, to keep up with crime.

The committee took a deep dive into information, statistics and comparative data from other communities to determine whether the city should look beyond the general fund for public safety and whether the existing police station is adequate. The committee was also asked to recommend a method and rate, if it determined a tax initiative would be See SALES TAX page 3

Wood pipes unearthed

A utilities crew with the City of Montrose made a historic discovery Tuesday morning while working under Cascade Avenue in downtown Montrose. Workers unearthed a wooden water pipe which was likely installed in the 1890s. Workers cut out the pipe to make room for a new water main. The wooden planks were fitted together using a tongue and groove method and were found at a depth of 52 inches below the street. The location of the pipe was directly east of the Colorado Mesa University campus.

The direction of the pipe was running in a north/south direction. Workers have found other wooden pipes in downtown Montrose in the past, but were excited to find a section that was so well preserved.

Members of Alpine Archaeological Consultants of Montrose were called in to map and document the find. (William Woody/ City of Montrose)

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Two young sisters whose bodies were found entombed in a car in 2017 “basically were tortured to death,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Seth Ryan said Tuesday. He called Archer for Ashford Archer, one of five adults charged in the deaths of Makayla Roberts and Hannah Marshall, to be sentenced to two, 35-year consecutive prison terms.

“One for Hannah. One for Makayla,” Ryan said.

Archer, who ultimately was sentenced to 24 years, told District Judge Keri Yoder he’d never expected to stand before her in shackles, a few months after a jury convicted him of two counts of child abuse resulting in death — as prosecutors described it, for ignoring the plight of Hannah Codefendants and Makayla • Madani Ceus, — and as an charged with first-deaccessory, gree murder and for helping child abuse resulting hide the car in death. Currently in which the undergoing a compechildren died. tency evaluation.

“It’s very • Frederick “Alec” shocking to Blair, pleaded guilty conceive I’m to an accessory in a posicharge; sentencing tion like this. pending.

The charges • Nashika Bramble, against me charged with first-deis beyond gree murder and my wildest child abuse resulting dreams and in death; trial begins any behavior I July 8. consider, even • Ika Eden, declared in my faults,” legally incompetent Archer said. to proceed. She was “I cannot even charged with fatal fathom doing abuse. such a thing.”

Archer also said that his prosecution was “a little bit race-related” and that the media had spread bad information.

Investigators and prosecutors said Archer was a ranking member of a religious group he had allegedly assembled in another state, although Archer denied establishing the group.

In May of 2017, he, the alleged leader Madani Ceus; Nashika Bramble, the girls’ mother; Ika Eden, and others were traveling through Colorado and encountered Frederick “Alec” Blair of Norwood. According to Blair’s testimony at Archer’s March trial, he became enthralled with the group and invited its members to come live on his Norwood farm.

Although Archer’s defense sharply disputed Blair’s version of events, Blair said that at one point that summer, Makayla, 10, was ordered to the car because she was impure and not working hard enough on her past lives. Hannah, 8, was also sent to the car to be purified, Blair testified; he hadn’t initially been aware of her presence on his land, he said.

According to past testimony, the group’s members heeded Ashford’s reported prophecy for a three-day eclipse in August that would “cover the world in darkness” and began burning or burying personal belongings.

At some point that summer, Blair had discovered the girls were dead in the vehicle. He testified that he and Archer placed a tarp over the car and told no one.

The children’s mummified remains were discovered Sept. 8, 2017, after Blair’s father, who had been summoned there by friends alarmed at Blair’s See ARCHER page 4

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change in personality and physical condition, arrived at the property. The elder Blair and the family friend accompanying him called authorities.

Ryan said although the exact cause of their deaths was not established, the girls likely died for lack of food and water, a hellish death in a trash-filled vehicle.

Ryan disputed letters written on Archer’s behalf, including one that suggested his conduct may have been driven by a brain injury. The “common thread” of these letters was that the offense was at odds with the person Archer’s friends and family knew him to be, Ryan said.

That man was gifted, charismatic, a spiritual adviser — and “great with children.”

“He was a clear, charismatic leader. …

He used those skills to gather these people together into this group,” Ryan said.

Members included Bramble and her two girls, as well as an uncharged man, Cory Sutherland, who at some point left the farm, leaving a male leadership void prosecutors argued Archer had filled.

Ceus became more controlling, Ryan said. Believing the end was nigh, the people at the farm isolated themselves and, he alleged, Ceus ordered sustenance to be withheld from Hannah and Makayla, even drawing a “perimeter” around the car no one was to cross.

Archer, he said, did not help the children.

“Is this the kind of person that was good with children? Absolutely not,” Ryan said.

Archer said he is being mischaracterized through “propaganda” in newspapers. In a lengthy statement, he said he respects and reveres all life — so much so, that he won’t even hunt or eat meat.

“It is a very sad thing two children died. I’ve given my life helping humanity,” Archer said.

“I am a healer in all forms of the word and to each here, and (to be) accused of child abuse, I cannot believe someone would utter such things.”

Archer alternately said he avoided being involved with other people’s children unless their parents were present, and that if people had problems with their children, they would call him. He especially avoided being involved with girls other than his own daughters “especially as a black man,” Archer said.

Each person in the group was responsible for his or her own children, he also said, denying he had assembled and sent anyone on a spiritual journey. Rather, others decided to come along and understood they were responsible for themselves — and Bramble was taking care of her children. They seemed happy, he said.

“It is hard for me to conceptualize that institutions couldn’t do due diligence in finding out what was going on at this property,” Archer said.

He said he was not aware of anyone being injured on the property and heard no

MONTROSE DAILY PRESS

complaints from the girls.

“I was there because I was told the end of my journey has come. … This is what the spirit told me,” Archer said.

Ryan, earlier, said Archer had told investigators the Norwood experience was “the best” time of his life.

Archer said he hadn’t been referring to the children’s deaths, but that, for the first time, he was being directed to take time for himself and learning.

“If I was looking after a group I would’ve had thousands upon thousands following me,” Archer said. “I’m sorry these children died. … But with all due respect, many times what we think is true may not be true. Honestly, Your Honor, service above self, that’s how I live my life.”

He implored the court to keep looking into the deaths because the parents know what really happened, Archer also said.

“I condemn no one … because that’s not my nature,” he said. “ … Anybody can make a story, but saying it over and over doesn’t make it true. … Let the fathers of those girls know exactly what happened,” he said.

Archer maintained that he does not know what happened to Hannah and Makayla.

“What y’all have painted about me, I have the right to be upset, but I cannot feel (upset). I condemn no one,” he repeated.

Archer’s precise duty to children who were not his, and who were simply staying on the same property as he was, wasn’t clear and was an issue throughout the trial, defense attorney Matthew Schultz said, arguing for, at most, a 16year sentence for his 53-year-old client.

Archer, who intends to appeal the conviction, might not survive even a 16-year term, the attorney said.

“The jury convicted Mr. Archer because he was an adult on the property,” Schultz said.

“I don’t think there was a strong relationship developed between Mr. Archer and those children.”

Ryan said the case demands that a message be sent.

“Child abuse causing death is arguably one of the most serious crimes in the state,” Ryan said, noting others have received between 17 and 25 years for causing the death of just one child — and after accepting responsibility for the conduct. Makayla’s father, who was not present, wanted Archer to receive 48 years, the maximum allowable, Ryan also said.

Yoder, however, was struck by the plea deal given to Blair, which stipulates a maximum 12-year sentence for similar conduct. She asked Ryan to explain why

Archer should receive a total of 70 years for similar conduct.

The case would have been hard to prosecute without Blair, who agreed to help the state, Ryan said. He had even agreed to interviews prior to a deal being offered, showing cooperation.

“That, I believe is the difference. Those girls don’t end up at that farm without Mr. Archer,” Ryan said, contending Archer had assembled the group. “If it weren’t for Mr. Archer, those girls would be alive,” he said.

Schultz disagreed and asked the court to look at “comparative responsibilities.”

By his own statements, Blair “is more culpable in this case than Mr. Archer,” Schultz said, contending Blair — who at one point assumed the name of the Egyptian sun god, Ra — not Archer, replaced Sutherland as the male leader. The change in the group’s dynamics was not the result of anything Archer did, but was because of Blair’s presence, the attorney said. And yet, the most prison time Blair is set to receive is 12 years.

Archer, further, was never given a chance to “cooperate” — no deal was ever offered to him, even though the DA has offered one to Bramble, who is charged with murder, Schultz said.

Yoder said she cannot substitute her judgment for that of the jury that convicted Archer.

“Mr. Archer, you were (there) and you knew those children for a lengthy period of time,” the judge said, after recognizing Archer had no prior criminal history or history of violence. Archer was also the head male figure, at least until Norwood, she said.

“There are two victims here. At minimum, they were ignored,” Yoder said, adding that at maximum, “they were tortured until they died.”

“What we know for sure is the girls were deceased and you helped hide the car.”

However, based on the evidence, Archer was not one of the people mainly culpable for what happened, Yoder said.

Blair’s plea terms are hard to reconcile, she said, although his cooperation is a factor.

“The issue is, it’s punishment and Mr. Archer deserves to be punished for his role. I know you don’t understand that, Mr. Archer, but you do,” Yoder said.

She imposed 24 years for each count of fatal abuse, to run concurrently, along with a six-year concurrent term for his accessory conviction. He received approximately 635 days of credit for pre-sentence confinement.

Katharhynn Heidelberg is the Montrose Daily Press assistant editor and senior writer. Follow her on Twitter, @kathMDP. 171906

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montrosepress.com | Thursday, July 18, 2019

Bramble convicted of children’s murders

• DA: Mother of 2 girls acted knowingly • Defense: Cult had destroyed Bramble’s free will • Sisters died on Norwood farm in 2017

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

A Montrose jury took roughly one hour to convict Nashika Bramble of first-degree murder in the 2017 deaths of her children, Makayla Roberts and Hannah Marshall.

The verdict came Wednesday, eight days after the trial began. The jury weighed competing theories of Bramble’s culpability — prosecutors said she dehumanized and starved her own children, while the defense said she did not have free will, only the illusion of it. Her attorneys laid the blame at the feet of codefendant Madani Ceus, the purported leader of

Bramble’s religious group.

“What’s dehumanization? That,” Deputy District Attorney Robert Whiting said in closing, pointing to a picture of the girls’ mummified bodies as they were found in a trash-packed car on the Norwood farm of Frederick “Alec” Blair on Sept. 8, 2017.

According to testimony, Hannah, 8, and Makayla, 10, succumbed to starvation, dehydration and heat more than a month before that day.

Bramble was in a position of trust over the girls, Whiting told jurors. She knew withholding food would result in their deaths, he said, replaying portions of her recorded interrogation — and said once Ceus had singled her out as “unclean,” Bramble acted very quickly to save her own life and that of the child she was carrying.

“Ms. Bramble knowingly caused the deaths of the children. She could have avoided that fate, just like she did for herself,” he said. “This is not a case where

someone was the victim of larger circumstances and couldn’t control her actions.”

Bramble’s defense contended she was guilty only of the lesser included offense of negligent child abuse resulting in death.

Her attorneys said that, as absurd as Bramble people outside of the loose-knit “family” band might have found it, Bramble and others believed absolutely that Ceus had the power to reap their souls; that their ascendance into the “light body” depended on unswerving obedience to her.

Bramble had acted on Ceus’ orders out of fear, attorney Harvey Palefsky said. His co-counsel was earlier forbidden to raise the defense of duress to the jury when the judge found the elements necessary were not See BRAMBLE page 4

Candidate wants to break Senate gridlock •Hopeful believes both parties unwilling to work together •Romanoff visited Montrose Tuesday •Candidate says current tax cuts not working B Y A NDREW K ISER ANDREWK @ MONTROSEPRESS . COM

Senatorial Democratic hopeful Andrew Romanoff says he’s had enough of seeing laws not passed in the Senate despite having the support of the majority of Americans.

Romanoff said, if elected, he can bridge both sides of the aisle to get much-needed proposals passed.

“It (a measure) doesn’t even get a hearing, let alone a vote in the Senate,” Romanoff said. “...

Pretty much if you pick a proposal, you can find it dead on arrival at the Senate.”

He’s one of many Democrats

vying for incumbent Republican Cory Gardner’s seat. He was visiting Montrose Tuesday, talking about those issues and more for a Montrose County Democratic Party-hosted event at The Bridges.

He cited his time as the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives where he said he was able to connect both parties to get laws passed.

“Our country is being torn apart,” Romanoff said. “... It’s a problem for me, as a Coloradan, when we have so many problems in the country, and so much paralysis in Washington.”

He said people are struggling, suffering and even, in some cases, dying due to problems that are solvable on the Senate floor.

“We’ve got to start fixing them,” he said.

Environment Most people mistakenly think See ROMANOFF page 3

A picture of Connor Imus hangs in the entrance of a busy Horsefly Brewing Company Tuesday evening.

(Andrew Kiser/ Montrose Daily Press file photo)

Community comes out to remember late MHS student; fund Imus scholarship •Matt Imus: Community support ‘huge’ •Fundraiser held for Imus scholarship •Parents say past months have been tough

BY ANDREW KISER ANDREWK@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Andrew Romanoff, a candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks Tuesday at the Montrose County Democrats’ First Amendment Bash at Remington’s at The Bridges. (Justin Tubbs/ Montrose Daily Press)

The Horsefly parking lot was full Tuesday evening, with vehicles also lined up and down the block on Main Street leading up to the brewpub. Their drivers had come to support the late Connor Imus.

“It’s very overwhelming to see the blessings from the community,” Connor’s mom, Emily said. “… It’s also heartbreaking because of the reason why we’re here.”

Added Connor’s father, Matt: “It’s huge to see all of this community support.

We felt it from the night when (Connor’s brother) J.T. posted on Instagram that Connor was missing.”

That support will help keep Connor’s name alive in an upcoming scholarship.

The Montrose High School basketball standout hoped to play in college but was worried how he was going to for school. And since there’s plenty of other students who face that challenge, Connor’s family have set up a scholarship that will soon-to-be college athletes.

“We want to help a guy or girl pursue their athletic dreams,” said Matt.

The Imus family got help for the scholarship from Horsefly which donated a $1 a pint and a portion of

food sales from that day.

Additionally, Canyon Creek Bed and Breakfast owner Kendra Morrow set up a silent auction during the event.

Before he passed away in a drowning accident in May, Connor was actively pursuing his dream of playing college hoops, his mom said. He certainly had the talent as he received an AllState honorable mention nod last season, in addition to, receiving two-straight All-Southwestern League first-team honors.

Even though his dream won’t become a reality, the Imus family hopes to make sure other high school graduates’ similar hopes can be realized.

The first year for the See IMUS page 7

Wildfire sparks up in West End of Montrose County S TAFF R EPORT

A small wildfire about 3.5 miles north of Norwood on Deer Mesa recently sparked up, according to a release from the Montrose County Sheriff ’s Office.

The burn area is on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. As far as the sheriff ’s office knows, the fire started burning

sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday.

The fire, being called the Nelson Ditch Fire, was estimated at 10-20 acres Wednesday afternoon, but was not threatening any structures as it burned in piñon-juniper fuels toward the San Miguel Canyon area.

Horses in the area were being evacuated Wednesday afternoon, and the San Miguel County Fairgrounds was

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accepting such horses for sheltering.

People were told to avoid the area of County Road 42ZN and Moondance Trail to allow fire and emergency responders space to work.

It is not necessary to call dispatch to report the heavy smoke the fire was putting off, the county said, as there is also smoke on both ends of the county from wildfires in surrounding states.

@montrosepress

The county reminded people concerned about air quality to stay indoors, filter air through an air conditioning unit or swamp coolers and avoid exercise or strenuous activities.

Those who need information about San Miguel County’s accommodations for their horses can contact DeeAnna Burbridge at 970-423-3303.

Fire updates can be had at westlopefireinfo.com.

Published for the Uncompahgre Valley and Jeffery Herring of Montrose

OBITUARIES/LOCAL

A4 THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019

Obituary

BRAMBLE

Ethel Mae Kibel Ethel Mae Kibel, 76, passed away on July 14, 2019 with her family by her side in her home in Montrose, Colorado after a five-year battle against cancer. Celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m.

Thursday, July 18 at Crippin Funeral Home in Montrose, A graveside service will be held at the Cortez, City Cemetery in Cortez Colorado at 2 p.m. Friday, July 19.

Ethel was born on July 5, 1943 in Denver Colorado, to Russell and Lillie Willey. She was

joined in marriage to Robert F. Kibel on June 18, 1960 in Cahone, Colorado. Most of her time was spent raising her two children while Robert worked on the railroad in Washington.

After retiring, the couple moved to Montrose in 2003. Ethel enjoyed crocheting, crafts, and bowling on leagues.

Ethel is survived by her husband, Robert Kibel of Montrose Colorado; son, Darrel Kibel of Seattle, Washington; daughter and spouse, Penny and Eric Goodwin of Irrigon, Oregon; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.

Ethel was loved by many and will be missed greatly.

FROM PAGE A1

present.

“What this case is about is the illusion of free will,” Palefsky said. “There was one person on Alec Blair’s property that had free will and that was this evil, vile witch by the name of Madani Ceus.”

Ceus is charged with murder and has yet to be tried, but as Palefsky said, “loomed large” in the proceedings, during which she was cast as an autocratic religious leader who had declared herself God, and also controlled who was able to eat at the farm.

Bramble and her two children had joined Ceus about three years before the girls died, but even then, the process of “separating” her from the children had begun, per Palefsky’s closing arguments, in which he contended Bramble was not in a position of trust and had been incapable of acting knowingly, as it is legally defined under Colorado’s first-degree murder statute.

The ‘cult’ factor

Feeding those who serve

Montrose Fire Protection District first-responders enjoy free food Wednesday provided Veterans of Foreign Wars’ refurbished burger stand at the Montrose County Fairgrounds.

The VFW served free lunch to all first-responders. (Andrew Kiser/ Montrose Daily Press)

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Members of a cult tend to fall under the sway of a charismatic figure, who is able to pinpoint and exploit their vulnerabilities, defense expert Janja Lalich testified earlier Wednesday.

Lalich, a retired sociology professor with a lengthy resume as a consultant and researcher of cultic behavior, was the only defense witness.

“A cult can be formed around any type of belief system,” said Lalich, who herself had been a member of what she called a “political cult.” Religious cults tend to be more common, because just about anything can be called a “religion” and receive First Amendment protections, as well as tax-exempt status, she said.

“A lot of people think it’s stupid people … but if it is any type, it’s idealism,” Lalich said, of those prone to joining cults.

She testified about the role of parents in cults, saying it is typical for them to be manipulated into surrendering control of their children to others, in the name of proving devotion to the leader.

This, Lalich said, serves to break family bonds and cause children to turn to the leader as their secure figure — when in fact the leader is the danger, especially when that person is a “traumatizing narcissist.”

Prior testimony indicated Hannah and Makayla referred to Ceus as “Ama” — mother — and that Ceus relegated Bramble to the role of a “vessel” whose purpose was to bring her the children.

During closing, however, Whiting reminded jurors of ex-members of the group who testified they viewed Bramble as the girls’ mother, not Ceus.

Lalich also explained “bounded choice,” when members are enveloped into the all-consuming world of the cult. They are at this point “not living in the same world as you or I,” Lalich said.

“It may look as though they’re making a choice … but it’s an illusion of choice,” she said.

Sleep and food deprivation are common control tactics, she further testified, referring to what researchers call “purification of the ego.”

“They basically shame you into thinking your sense of self is bad,” Lalich said.

Under cross-examination, she said it is possible for people to leave cults, although many reasons are at play. She left her political cult because it imploded and, in a rare occurrence, everyone involved got out.

Whiting questioned Lalich about whether she used hyperbolic language, including during an interview for a story linking Trump voters to a cult-like mentality.

He also asked Lalich about her classified research papers concerning terrorist groups; he wanted to know if she recommended not holding individual terrorists accountable if they were not leaders.

When Whiting began asking Lalich about her knowledge of cults like the Fundamentalist Church of the Latter-day Saints — pointing out that its “prophet” Warren Jeffs was not the only person to be prosecuted and convicted of crimes — Palefsky objected.

Raised voices and ultimately a sharp rebuke from presiding District Judge Keri Yoder followed the jury being sent from the room.

As Whiting and Palefsky began accusing each other of talking out of turn, Yoder called for a break in proceedings.

“Everyone needs to calm down. This is not worth that kind of energy,” she said.

When argument over Lalich’s testimony resumed, defense co-counsel Brandon Tryon said Bramble was “emotionally distraught” and so, wanted to be excused during the rest of the witness’ testimony. Bramble was allowed to remain in a holding cell.

To the jury Just before closing arguments, Bramble exercised her right not to

MONTROSE DAILY PRESS

Prosecutors, sheriff react to verdict

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

“Justice was served,” San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said, after guilty verdicts came down in the deaths of Hannah Marshall and Makayla Roberts Wednesday.

“The criminal justice system is healthy and working well,” Masters said, praising District Judge Keri Yoder’s fairness, the hard work of prosecutors, attentiveness of the jury and the “spirited” defense.

Chief District Attorney Seth Ryan and Deputy District Attorney Robert Whiting also reacted after Nashika Bramble was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder.

Her defense team declined to comment.

“A lot of people worked awfully hard. We could not have done this without the hard work of SMCSO. Sheriff Masters and Deputy (Dan) Covault definitely put in a lot of work on this,” Ryan said. “We appreciate their willingness to spend a lot of time, a lot of sleepless nights.”

Covault, who was the advisory witness for the prosecution, said the case was one of the toughest in his life. “It’s not easy to talk about,” he said.

Whiting said the verdict, while welcome, cannot change what happened to the victims.

“There is just no verdict that could have changed what a tragedy this was,” he said.

testify in her own defense. Yoder also made note, in light of previous competency proceedings, that Bramble had behaved appropriately during trial and participated in proceedings.

Whiting told jurors that regardless of Bramble’s state of mind, she knew her daughters would die if they weren’t given food and water, but still put them in the car, guarded them and withheld sustenance.

“When she faced the same fate, she saved herself,” Whiting said. Her daughters called out to her from just 100 yards away, but she did nothing, he also said.

Within days of being “separated” into a truck on the property, Bramble walked away from the farm; subsequently provided a false name to a domestic violence shelter, and got a bus ticket out of town. She only turned herself in to Grand Junction police Sept. 9, 2017, because she saw herself on the news, Whiting said.

“Everyone knew they would die,” he said, playing portions of Bramble’s interrogation in which she responded “right” when Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent John Zamora said “you knew.”

“The notion God told me to, or my leader told me to do it hasn’t been a valid defense for centuries,” Whiting said.

Bramble did the “job” she was given, which was to keep the girls in the car, even taking over from another group member, the father of her then-unborn child, Whiting said. (The man, said in court to be Cory Sutherland, left the group after a breakdown and has not been charged.)

“That’s agency,” the DDA said.

“Nashika Bramble acted out of fear, but fear isn’t exculpatory. … Anyone who says she was powerless acknowledges she valued her life more than her daughters’,” because she acted immediately to save herself.

“She knew what she was doing. …

She, along with everyone else, knew the Pinks (Hannah and Makayla) were meant to die,” Whiting said.

Palefsky said, however, that Bramble had stayed in the truck as ordered, for six days, praying for “Yahweh” to help her, not for herself, but for her unborn child, which Ceus had repeatedly claimed was hers.

“She had no free will. Everyone had to bow down to Madani Ceus. … She was a dictatorial tyrant who ruled by psychological intimidation. She claimed to be God. God is all-powerful,” Palefsky said.

He contended Whiting had glossed over a necessary part of proving first-degree murder — causing death — and said by the time of the deaths, Bramble was not in a position of trust over the girls.

Whiting reminded jurors that they were trying Bramble, not anyone else, and reiterated Bramble had acted knowingly.

“There is one person in this room who could have saved these children … but she waited until her life was on the line,” Whiting said.

The case went to the jury at about 3:35 p.m. By 4:30, jurors signaled they had reached a verdict.

Sentencing was set for Oct. 1 in Telluride.

Katharhynn Heidelberg is the Montrose Daily Press assistant editor and senior writer. Follow her on Twitter, @kathMDP.

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montrosepress.com | Wednesday, October 2, 2019

‘You were their mother’

TIMELINE

• May, 2017: Frederick “Alec” Blair of Norwood meets Madani Ceus’ religious group, whose members include Nashika Bramble, Ashford Archer and Ika Eden, all of whom are eventually charged in the deaths of Bramble’s daughters, Hannah Marshall and Makayla Roberts. Blair invites the group to live on his farm in Norwood. He eventually rises to the level of “Ra” in the group, which according to testimony, is led by Ceus, also known as “Ama” or “Yahweh.”

Two life terms handed down in child murders

•Bramble, at sentencing, alludes to ‘demonic possession’ •Sisters perished on Norwood farm after being deemed ‘unclean’ •Mother treated them ‘no better than garbage,’ judge says

• Summer, 2017: The group begins preparing for an apocalyptic event foretold by Archer. This includes burning their possessions and also Blair withholding food from his dog, reportedly on orders of Ceus.

• Hannah and Makayla are ordered to stay in Bramble’s car because they are “unclean.” Ceus allegedly decrees they cannot be fed with anything she has prepared.

BY KATHARHYNN HEIDELBERG KATHARHYNNH@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Nashika Bramble’s punishment was not in doubt Tuesday, when she appeared in Telluride District Court: She had been convicted in July of the first-degree murder of her two daughters and the mandatory sentence in Colorado for the offense is life without parole.

Still, the sentencing judge said she felt compelled to address Bramble’s “abhorrent” conduct that caused the deaths of Makayla Roberts, 10, and Hannah Marshall, 8, on a Norwood farm in 2017.

More than two years ago, Makayla and Hannah were found dead in a fly-clotted, trash-filled vehicle there and five people, including Bramble, were suspected of varying levels of culpability.

The children, testimony later showed, had been taken from the South and through other states by their mother, who was part of a religious sect that ultimately made its way to the Norwood farm.

As adults on the farm prepared for a foretold apocalyptic event near the time of the eclipse in 2017, the girls languished alone in the vehicle, without sufficient food or water, allegedly at the orders of group leader Madani Ceus, who had deemed them unclean.

The young girls likely succumbed to heat, thirst and starvation,

• Sept. 8, 2017: Blair’s father and a friend appear at the property, alarmed by reports from his other friends. Eventually, Blair admits the children are dead in the car; over which he and Archer placed a tarp to conceal it.

• Blair, Ceus, Eden and Archer are arrested; Bramble turns herself in to Grand Junction police Sept. 9, 2017.

• Ceus and Bramble are charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

• Blair and Archer are charged with child abuse resulting in death and accessory to a crime. Eden is charged with child abuse resulting in death; she is in 2018 deemed incompetent for trial.

(Above left) Makayla Roberts. (Above right) Hannah Marshall. (Below) Nashika Bramble. (Submitted photos)

pathologists testified, although they could not determine the precise cause of death.

At trial, Bramble’s defense pinned all blame on Ceus, casting her as a cult leader who held Bramble in thrall, having convinced her that her soul would be “reaped” if she did not offer unswerving obedience.

Prosecutors said, however, Bramble had acted quickly to save herself once she had also been ostracized from the group.

Tuesday, Chief Deputy District Attorney Seth Ryan and Deputy District Attorney Robert Whiting confined their argument to formally asking District Judge Keri Yoder to impose the mandatory life term.

They will have 60 days to make a

• May, 2018: Blair pleads guilty to the accessory charge.

• March, 2019: Archer is convicted of all charges against him.

• June, 2019: Archer sentenced to 24 years in prison.

• July, 2019: Bramble is convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse resulting in death.

• Oct. 1: Bramble sentenced to life without parole.

• Oct. 31: Blair is to be sentenced.

monetary restitution claim.

“Given the nature of the sentence, I don’t think there’s a lot we can really say,” defense attorney Harvey Palefsky said. “… The court has

• Jan. 13, 2020: Ceus’ trial is slated to begin in Gunnison.

See BRAMBLE page 4

Information in timeline was derived from courtroom testimony and statements.

DeVries continues family fun in 12th year JUSTINT@MONTROSEPRESS.COM

Since 2007, the DeVries Friendly Farm has been a fall family fun staple for Olathe and the surrounding area.

Between the annual Punkin’ Chunkin’, the corn maze and the pumpkin patch, there’s plenty for families to experience.

Pam Friend, owner of DeVries Produce, said Monday she keeps the fun going not just for the business side of things, but to see smiles on peoples’ faces.

“You can spend time with your children out in the country — and it’s that family time together.

That’s what it’s all about,” she said.

The corn maze and Friend-ly Farm started in 2007. Pam’s son, Randy, had gone to Colorado State University, where he studied agriculture, and he and the family put their heads together to come up with an agritourism venture. “(Agritourism) at that time was kicking off, and people wanted the chance to go out and see and experience the farm,” Pam said.

“It’s attractive to tourists — it’s attractive to anyone who isn’t living on a farm.”

Through the years, the corn

maze has taken on various forms.

From the ground level, a maze solver can’t tell, but from the air, the shapes within the maze are a marvel. Pam has the Olathe Spray Service take shots from the air every year.

In 2012, it was designed as a Pirates and Indians theme, based on the Montrose and Olathe high school mascots. In 2016, it was (unofficially) a Denver Broncos logo. “It was close to a Denver Bronco but wasn’t,” Pam said, noting how the Broncos would have liked a cut of the profits if the likeness was too similar.

One year, it was themed after the Star Drive-In movie theater in Montrose, which Pam also owns.

This year, the maze has taken on a jack-o-lantern Halloween theme.

Every year, Pam makes sure everyone sees the hard work — and the artistry — that go into making the corn maze.

Her son Randy, the farmer, worked within the perimeter of an oddly angled 8-acre patch of corn to make the design. From there, the Friends worked with a local surveying company to map the land using GPS. Using tractors, four-wheelers and a little bit of sweat, they plow areas of the land visitors walk on as

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COLORADO PRO RODEO FINALS

Jack and Pam Friend stand at the edge of the corn maze at DeVries Friend-ly Farm this week. Pam has run DeVries Produce since 2007.

Jack is her 13-year-old grandson.

(Justin Tubbs/ Montrose Daily Press)

they weave their way through the maze.

Randy’s son — Pam’s grandson — Jack helps. The 13-year-old

Fall Fun •DeVries Produce, The Friendly Farm is located north of Montrose on Highway 50 between mile markers 85 and 86.

•Corn maze, straw bale maze, pumpkin patch open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Halloween.

•Night maze begins Oct. 11 and goes every Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m.

• Olathe Volunteer Fire Department 17th annual Punkin’ Chunkin’ & Fall Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 26, with a haunted maze.

See DEVRIES page 4

@montrosepress

Published for the Uncompahgre Valley and Emilia G. Pavlich of Montrose

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LOCAL

A4 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019

Obituary Margaret Emily (Mocko) Frank Margaret Emily (Mocko) Frank, formerly of Montrose, CO, passed away suddenly on Saturday, September 28, 2019, in Columbus, GA. Margaret was born on March 17, 1984, in Gettysburg, PA to John and Suzy (Malavasic) Mocko. She was the youngest of six siblings, and was the quintessential youngest child.

From the moment she was born, she brought joy and light into the world. Margaret was blessed with strength, sass and a quick wit from early on. She leaves behind a hole so large in her parents’ and siblings’ hearts, words cannot describe the grief they feel.

Her family moved to Montrose, Colorado in 1996, and Margaret graduated from Montrose High School in 2002. She married her high school sweetheart and they had a son, Trace, who was Margaret’s entire world.

Margaret was a fierce mother, whose undying love for her son will be indelible in the minds and hearts of those who know and love her.

Trace was Margaret’s eternal best friend, and they share an unbreakable bond that her death will not sever.

In 2010, Margaret started her own business selling hair accessories, and eventually developed a headband design of her own, the “Knot Twisted”. Over the past nine years, and a storefront in Hickory, NC, and countless markets, Margaret met many people, and she touched each one of their lives

in a special way. She was proud of her business and the friends she made as a result.

In 2016, during a tornado, Margaret met the love of her life, Matthew Frank. He sat in a bathroom with her because she was too scared to go outside, and that is when Margaret knew he was the one for her.

On their fourth date, Margaret broke her ankle, because she had a propensity for falling down, and Matt took care of her and drove her all the way back to Colorado in time for her niece’s graduation, and that is when the family knew that he was the one for Margaret. They married shortly after, and Margaret became stepmother to Elliot and Tommy. Though their time together was too short, Margaret loved Matt and her new family immensely.

Margaret, wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, Lady Boss, maker, creative entrepreneur and slinger of headbands, was many things to so many of us, and her larger-than-life personality, laughter, hugs, friendship and love will be missed by all.

Margaret leaves behind her husband Matthew Frank, son Trace Chaney, stepsons Elliot and Tommy Frank, parents, Suzy Malavasic and John &

Caroline Mocko, siblings Suzanne & Tony Catalfomo, Kara Mocko, John Mocko, David & Krasi Mocko, and Lindsay & Brandon Wiley. Precious and special to her were nieces and nephew, Abby & Alina Sturgess, Emma & Callie Holcomb, Mikey and Svetlana Mocko, as well as her aunts, uncles and cousins, and friends as countless as the stars.

Viewing hours will be held from 2-4 pm on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at Crippin Funeral Home in Montrose, CO. Funeral service will be held at Grace Community Church, Montrose, CO on Monday, October 7, 2019, at 10:00 am and internment following at Grandview Cemetery, Montrose, CO. The family will receive visitors, and those who want to share their stories and love for Margaret are also welcome to attend a reception after the burial at the Holiday Inn Event Center in Montrose at 1 pm on Monday, October 7, 2019.

Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be designated to a college fund for Margaret’s son, Trace Chaney at Wells Fargo Bank, or to Amazing Gracie’s Gift Foundation (www.amazinggraciesgift.org). Amazing Gracie’s Gift Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to provide support, hope, and memories to families fighting pediatric cancer or a life threatening illness. The Foundation was established by Margaret’s cousins Geoff and Lisa (Mocko) Lawton as a way to honor their daughter Gracie who died of cancer before she was two years old.

MONTROSE DAILY PRESS

An aerial view of the DeVries Friend-ly Farm corn maze. (Photo courtesy DeVries)

DEVRIES FROM PAGE A1

explained Monday how he helped flatten some of the ditches around the land with his four-wheeler, all the while having fun.

Jack, as Pam led a short tour around the family fun area, demonstrated jumping into a pit full of corn. It was a “whole trailer full,” Jack said. Those who visit can take a slide into the corn, like a rural ball or foam pit.

There’s also a straw-bale maze for younger kids. Pumpkins go flying from cannons during the Punkin’ Chunkin’ Oct. 26.

Younger than the corn maze and the family fun is the produce shop at the front of their parcel of land. In 2010, Pam lost her mother, Elizabeth DeVries, who had owned the land with her husband George since 1943. When she passed, the family divvied up pieces of the land. In 2011, Pam and her husband dumped their life savings into the produce shop, which sees a lot of business.

As a whole operation, it’s been “very, very profitable,” Pam said. “It’s been good to us.”

At 68, she wants to keep going, offering fresh produce and family fun during the fall.

Justin Tubbs is the managing editor for the Montrose Daily Press.

the children died, Yoder disagreed.

“You are no wallflower,” she said, adding that throughout the case, lived this case as we all Bramble, far from having have. It’s obviously a tragic been manipulated was in situation.” fact manipulative.

Palefsky referred to reShe sentenced Bramble cordings of Bramble’s into two consecutive life terrogation that had been terms, one for each child, played at trial. “I think the with no parole. court saw her emotion.

“It may be symbolic, We do plan to appeal,” he but there is a chance the said. law may change down the For that reason, his cliroad,” Yoder said. ent was foregoing her She then asked Palefsky right to make a statement, if there was anything else.

Palefsky said.

He consulted briefly with Bramble initially conBramble, who eventually firmed that with a soft “No, ma’am” when Yoder shrugged. asked her directly if she “I think the judge said would like to speak. it very well,” San Miguel Yoder then told Bramble County Sheriff Bill although it might be only Masters said, after court. symbolic, given the re“It shows, I think, that we quired sentence, she needhave a good judicial sysed to say something for tem that understand their both the community and obligations.” for Makayla and Hannah, He thanked the who “deserved” to have Montrose jury that had someone speak for them. decided the Bramble case, “Your conduct was abas well as the hard work of horrent,” Yoder said. the prosecution team.

“Demonic possession “This office extends its is what I would call it,” condolences to the famiBramble interjected. ly members of these two “Your two children young children,” District 1765 US Hwy 50~ Delta, CO were left to die,” Yoder Attorney Dan Hostenpiller • Home & Auto • New Roof • Educators • Montrose Memorialsaid in a statement his office provided later Bundled • Good Student • Registered Nurses Hospital Staff Tuesday. He also thanked • •About 60% of homes are underinsured • New Home • Good Driver VOA Staff • And More! the jurors, alternate jurors • About 1 in 20 homeowners and staff members in both Montrose and San Miguel have a claim in a typical year October 2019 Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) counties’ courts.

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BRAMBLE FROM PAGE A1

continued.

“Not by my choice,” Bramble said, prompting the judge to admonish her.

“They were treated no better by you than garbage,” Yoder said. “They were stripped of their identity. They were dehumanized … left to rot.

“The buck stopped with you. You were their mother.”

Yoder acknowledged Bramble had difficulties in her life, but said that was not an excuse — if anything, Makayla and Hannah were more vulnerable because of the way they had been growing up.

“When they cried out to you, you did nothing. You just let them sit there (in the car),” Yoder said.

When it was Bramble’s turn to be separated from the others and from food, she eventually walked away from the farm, the judge noted.

“Your children deserved that much. They deserved more,” Yoder said.

Instead, neither girl lived past the age of 10, she said.

As for the implication at trial that Bramble had no will of her own at the time

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