On Friday, August 10th, 2018 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time, a press conference was held to announce that two different jurisdictions in Colorado were filing charges against a man named Alex Christopher Ewing for the Patricia Smith and Bennett family homicides. The cases are commonly known as the 1984 Colorado Hammer Murders. These crimes, which took place in January 1984, were part of a series of assaults that tore through the Denver area and have remained unsolved for thirty-four years. For an overview of the case, you can review my extensive post from yesterday which covered many of the details. More details will be forthcoming in the case as more is learned about the alleged killer and an affidavit is circulated containing the evidence used to charge him with these crimes.
The press conference began with Aurora Chief Nicholas Metz, who recognized the hard work and dedication of many investigators who worked this case over the years. Special recognition was given to Detective Steve Conner from the Major Crimes Unit who, incidentally was at the scene of the Bennett crime as a young deputy, and who has worked the case for many, many years. He was among many who worked the case tirelessly for many years and is directly responsible for using some of the innovative DNA technologies, such as the Parabon Nanolabs imaging that came out a few years ago. Recently, he was exploring forensic genealogy techniques. I didn’t hear it mentioned in the press conference, but forensic genealogist incidentally identified the correct surname of the alleged killer: “Ewing.” This information was released in an episode of “On the Case with Paula Zahn” earlier this year.
It was Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director John Camper who got to break the news to Aurora PD that there had been a DNA match. Camper reviewed the timeline that led to the arrest, which included a DNA profile from the Bennett case generated in 2001 and uploaded to CODIS (the national FBI DNA database), a profile developed from the Smith case is 2010 that matched the Bennett profile, and the strides that Nevada has made in testing their current prison population, which directly led to Ewing’s DNA being uploaded into CODIS. Camper explained that the CBI does a nightly check of all of their profiles against the CODIS system, and at that point, in early July, there was a match. Full cooperation from Nevada Law Enforcement led to a confirmation of the DNA match.
A day or two after receiving the DNA results, Law Enforcement met with victims and their family members. The press conference panel continually emphasized the destruction that this case has left on the lives of those affected. While closure and peace may be forever out of reach, the panelists hope for a sense of justice among those affected. They pledged to continue to support the families via their victim services organizations.
Lakewood Chief Dan McCasky was among those echoing those sentiments, and mentioned that the Smith family members will be releasing a statement later in the day.
George Brauchler, District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District (which includes Aurora), emphasized that this individual is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. He reminded the public that “John Doe” warrants had been filed based on the DNA profile of the killer back in 2002, and mentioned that the “John Doe” charges have been updated to Alex Christopher Ewing’s name.
Lightening the speech with a quasi-political jab at Al Gore’s “inventing the internet,” he went on to describe cooperation from Clark County Nevada and Mojave County Arizona, which were other jurisdictions who’d had Ewing pass through their systems.
At the conclusion of his comments, he introduced his former boss, Peter Weir.
Peter Weir, District Attorney of the 1st Judicial District, oversees the area where the Smith murder occurred. He further explained the nature of the “coordinated and combined effort” that contributed to the identification of this suspect, and the initial ease at which the system has thus far moved. He went into the process of requesting extradition of the suspect, with the request soon going to the governor’s office and the process taking up to a couple of months. He assured the public that they’ll move with “all appropriate speed.”
A brief question and answer session involved the police asking any residents or witnesses to come forward with anything they might know in relation to these crimes so that the prosecution can continue to build its case.
Both district attorneys addressed the possibility of capital punishment being on the table, discussing that 1984 laws do seem to allow the possibility, and that it’s the hardest decision that a DA has to make and it won’t be one that’s made lightly.
There are potentially other crimes that Ewing could be charged for, and Brauchler emphasized that he won’t prosecute a crime that he can’t “ethically prove” — there’s a high standard for evidence in these types of cases. He also appealed to other district attorneys and lawmakers who might be watching (singling out “Montana” briefly) to change their DNA collection laws and practices and to begin participating in CODIS.
While meeting with the families in regards to this case reopened many “old wounds” and “horrific memories,” the Aurora Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the 18th Judicial District, and the 1st Judicial District is committed to seeing that justice is served in this case.