January 2009

Murder-for-Hire
In November 2008, an Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the detention facility forwarded information to the Special Investigations Section (SIS) regarding a pre-trial inmate who was attempting to hire someone to kill a prosecution witness in his case. Upon evaluation of the information, SIS Investigators coordinated a joint effort with detentions personnel to corroborate the information and build a case for Criminal Solicitation to Commit Murder. With the assistance of the Detentions Intel Deputy and staff in the mailroom and telecommunications, SIS Investigators were able to monitor the suspected inmate’s activities, mail correspondence and telephone conversations for evidence of criminal activity.

SIS Investigators conducted an undercover operation with a confidential informant and learned that the inmate had an accomplice outside the detention facility who was acting as his agent in hiring the “hit man.” In a second operation, the accomplice met with an undercover officer and made payment for the “hit.” Investigators arrested and booked both suspects – the inmate and his accomplice – into jail for Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder. The targeted witness is now under witness protection by the District Attorney’s Office.

Suspicious Circumstance – Possible Attempted Kidnapping
In mid-November, a 15-year-old female reported that, while walking her dog, a white male pulled over alongside her and asked her for directions to a nearby store. Once she was near the passenger side door of the vehicle, the male unsuccessfully attempted to grab her and pull her into the vehicle. She struggled against the male, who was reaching across from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, and was able to safely return home and contact her parents. Patrol responded and canvassed the area but could not locate the suspect or his vehicle.

The Investigator assigned to the case worked with the female and produced a composite drawing of the suspect, which was disseminated as a media release and as a law enforcement bulletin to other metro area agencies. Upon seeing the internal bulletin, a Detentions Deputy believed that the man in the composite could possibly have been a former inmate. A comparison of booking photographs and the composite drawing revealed a striking resemblance between the unidentified suspect and the former inmate, who also had a history of sex offenses.

The Investigator prepared a photo lineup using the most recent booking photograph of the former inmate; however, the victim was unable to identify the male from the vehicle in any of the photographs. Investigators also have been unable to locate the former inmate at any of his previous addresses. There have been no further leads in the case and the investigation continues.