Guilty plea in homeless death

A "mall rat" charged in the slaying last fall of a sleeping homeless man pleaded guilty to reduced charges Monday and agreed to testify against a co-defendant who has threatened to harm him.

Thomas Holden, 19, was charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of Melvin Washington, 47, who was attacked Sept. 8 as he slept on a steam grate. He died Sept. 15.

Washington was one of seven homeless men found dead last fall in a series of attacks that terrorized street people in downtown Denver. No charges have been filed in the other deaths.

Police said some attacks were prompted by turf battles between older transients and homeless kids who hang out on the 16th Street Mall, panhandle and occasionally cause trouble.

Under a plea agreement, Holden pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Washington's death and second-degree assault in the Sept. 25 attack on street musician George Burdge, 39.

Four other charges were dismissed, and prosecutors agreed to a maximum 30-year sentence.

But Holden must testify at the trials of Christopher Ball, 16, and Nathan Harrison, 20, both charged with Washington's murder.

Ball was scheduled for trial as an adult this week, but the trial may be postponed.

Ball faces an additional charge of intimidating a witness for sending letters to Holden threatening to harm him or his family if he "snitched."

In the letters, Ball told Holden, "I'll pound you down" and "Snitches are b------ that wind up in ditches."

The new charge filed Monday in Denver District Court claims Ball intimidated or harassed Holden from Nov. 1 to March 10 while both were at Denver County Jail.

Detectives said the teens first argued with Washington at a downtown 7-Eleven over spare change and later saw him sleeping in Skyline Park near 18th and Araphoe Streets.

Holden told police Ball spotted Washington sleeping on the grate and said, "There's that b----. We have to get him."

Holden said Ball hit Washington on the head with a bottle and then began kicking him while Harrison kicked his head. Holden said they stopped kicking him "because his ribs had turned to mush," Detective Richard Schnieder testified at a preliminary hearing in December.

Harrison claimed Holden stomped on Washington's head. Holden told police he thought he "stepped" on his head accidentally and may have knocked out one of Washington's teeth, prosecutor Phil Brimmer said.

Prosecutors said Holden also participated in the attack on Burdge, who was beaten and robbed after a group of "mall rats" lured him to the Cherry Creek bike path Sept. 25.

Attorney Frank Moya said that while Holden denies direct involvement in the Washington slaying and Burdge beating, he pleaded guilty because he knew he could be convicted as an accomplice.

Burdge attended the hearing, declining to talk to reporters.

Denise Holden cried, wiping her tears with a red bandanna, as she watched her son plead guilty and heard the 30-year sentence he faces.

Contact Sue Lindsay at (303) 892-5181 or lindsays@RockyMountainNews.com.

March 14, 2000