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September 21
May 2
March 24
March 23
Homeless feel betrayed by verdict
March 19
March 17
March 16
March 14
December 10
November 28
Jeffrey John Hubert: Time slips away on streets
Beat on street among Denver's homeless is one of fear, defiance
Richard Steinmetz: Wary life among the 'clowns'
John Bryant & Katherine Livingston: Manhole cover for a bed
Keith Williams: Scars of street life
November 26
November 25
November 23
Murder suspect, 16, put in adult jail
LoDo not paralyzed by murders
November 22
Homeless shelters fill fast
November 21
LoDo rebirth disrupts street life rhythms
November 20
November 19
FBI profilers may help solve murders
Death takes many forms for homeless
'We have nothing to be afraid of'
November 18
New killings spread fear in homeless
November 15
November 12
November 10
November 7
November 5
October 31
Men felt lure of streets
October 30
October 29
October 28
Police ponder connections in four downtown slayings
October 27
October 24
October 9
October 7
September 30
September 18
September 9
'I don't sleep very heavy anymore; I'm not going to get my head beaten in'
By Charlie BrennanDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Anthony Valdez first glimpsed the guy's jacket. Next, he saw death. And now, he's living with the fear. Valdez -- "51 years old, and still living" -- found the first of two bodies discovered near Union Station on Wednesday, triggering a massive police investigation into what may be the sixth and seventh murders of homeless men in downtown Denver in recent weeks. "It makes me afraid," said Valdez, who has been living on the streets in Denver since his wife died a year ago. "I don't sleep very heavy anymore. I'm not going to get my head beaten in." Valdez was passing through a lot west of Union Station when he caught sight of a jacket -- and then realized there was a man in the jacket. Belly down. No shoes. Not moving. "I thought, 'What the hell is this?,"' said Valdez. "I didn't touch the body. I said, 'Hey, are you awake? Are you awake?"' Valdez said he was about to leave the guy alone and "go canning," when a friend he knows only as Pete came along. Reassured now that he wasn't alone, Valdez and his companion approached the motionless figure. Valdez said his friend pushed at the body with his hand, exposing the man's stomach. It was discolored -- yellow. "I know what death looks like. I knew he was dead," said Valdez. "I said, 'Let's get the hell out of here."' They went to Union Station, and had an employee there call police. By nightfall, Valdez was not aware that police had found a second body roughly 300 yards away. And, because the dead man he found was partially obscured by underbrush, he could recall no other details about the victim's appearance. Valdez suspects some sort of "cult thing" is claiming the lives of Denver homeless. "I tell you," he said, "I just want to get together enough money to get to Phoenix, Arizona." Anywhere but here is starting to look good to a lot of Denver's homeless. Several talked about their growing fear as they stood in line for a bed Wednesday night at the Denver Rescue Mission. "A lot of people are really scared to come out and talk to anybody about this," said Dale Clary, 42, who finds beds where he can in the LoDo area. "There are people I know who I am sure know things about this, but they're afraid to speak up. They think something will happen to them." A 44-year-old homeless man who gave his name only as "Taz" said a certain "prison mentality" exists in the homeless community. There are unwritten rules and codes. The penalties for violations can be severe. "I never sleep outside and I try not to sleep in the same place twice," said Taz. "There are a lot of people out here who don't make friends very easily." Ross Cherry, 48, fumbled for a cigarette as he said, "I think somebody's playing games." But he's not scared. "Death is death," he said, lighting up. "I'm not scared of death. "And death's not scared of me." November 18, 1999
Anthony Valdez first glimpsed the guy's jacket.
Next, he saw death.
And now, he's living with the fear.
Valdez -- "51 years old, and still living" -- found the first of two bodies discovered near Union Station on Wednesday, triggering a massive police investigation into what may be the sixth and seventh murders of homeless men in downtown Denver in recent weeks.
"It makes me afraid," said Valdez, who has been living on the streets in Denver since his wife died a year ago.
"I don't sleep very heavy anymore. I'm not going to get my head beaten in."
Valdez was passing through a lot west of Union Station when he caught sight of a jacket -- and then realized there was a man in the jacket. Belly down. No shoes. Not moving.
"I thought, 'What the hell is this?,"' said Valdez.
"I didn't touch the body. I said, 'Hey, are you awake? Are you awake?"'
Valdez said he was about to leave the guy alone and "go canning," when a friend he knows only as Pete came along. Reassured now that he wasn't alone, Valdez and his companion approached the motionless figure.
Valdez said his friend pushed at the body with his hand, exposing the man's stomach. It was discolored -- yellow.
"I know what death looks like. I knew he was dead," said Valdez. "I said, 'Let's get the hell out of here."'
They went to Union Station, and had an employee there call police.
By nightfall, Valdez was not aware that police had found a second body roughly 300 yards away. And, because the dead man he found was partially obscured by underbrush, he could recall no other details about the victim's appearance.
Valdez suspects some sort of "cult thing" is claiming the lives of Denver homeless.
"I tell you," he said, "I just want to get together enough money to get to Phoenix, Arizona."
Anywhere but here is starting to look good to a lot of Denver's homeless. Several talked about their growing fear as they stood in line for a bed Wednesday night at the Denver Rescue Mission.
"A lot of people are really scared to come out and talk to anybody about this," said Dale Clary, 42, who finds beds where he can in the LoDo area.
"There are people I know who I am sure know things about this, but they're afraid to speak up. They think something will happen to them."
A 44-year-old homeless man who gave his name only as "Taz" said a certain "prison mentality" exists in the homeless community. There are unwritten rules and codes. The penalties for violations can be severe.
"I never sleep outside and I try not to sleep in the same place twice," said Taz. "There are a lot of people out here who don't make friends very easily."
Ross Cherry, 48, fumbled for a cigarette as he said, "I think somebody's playing games."
But he's not scared.
"Death is death," he said, lighting up. "I'm not scared of death.
"And death's not scared of me."
November 18, 1999
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