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First-degree murder counts filed in beating death of homeless man
By Lynn Bartels
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Three "mall rats" were charged Friday with first-degree murder in the beating death of a sleeping transient.
Denver police, though, don't believe the young men are involved in four other homeless slayings.
"There's nothing to indicate they are responsible for the other homeless deaths at this time, but we are going to continue to investigate," Detective Rick Schneider said Friday.
The slayings of five homeless people and attacks on two others in September have terrorized street people in Lower Downtown.
Thomas Holden, 18, Nathan Harrison, 20, and Christopher Ball, 16, were charged in Denver District Court with the death of Melvin Washington, 47.
Ball will be tried as an adult.
Washington, an East High School graduate who kept close ties with his family although he preferred life on the streets, was beaten Sept. 8 near 18th and Arapahoe streets. He died Sept. 18 at Denver Health Medical Center.
"Mall rats" is what police call young homeless people who hang out in LoDo, often competing with older transients for food, sleeping space and donations.
Holden is known on the street as "Crazy," Harrison goes by "Trip," and Ball by "Little Chris," court records show.
Holden told police that Harrison had a confrontation with Washington, and "later that night they had seen him sleeping on the vents and Chris told them that they should get him," court records show.
Holden claimed to be only a look-out, while Harrison and Ball attacked Washington.
Holden and Harrison and five other "mall rats" have been charged with attempted murder in the nonfatal attacks of transients George Burdge and Thomas Hollis in September.
Ball is in juvenile jail in Greeley after being arrested in Boulder on a robbery charge; Holden is in the Denver County Jail; and Harrison was arrested in San Francisco this week on drug charges.
Police are continuing to investigate the slayings of George "Billy" Worth, 62, and his friend Donald Dyer, 51, whose bodies were found Sept. 7; Milo Harris, 51, whose body was found Sept. 26, and Kenneth Rapp, whose body was found in a field Oct. 22.
November 12, 1999
