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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
Advocates helping men find safe places to sleep in wake of killings in LoDo
By Dick Foster and Hector GutierrezDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writers
Homeless advocates aggressively sought out Denver's down and out Saturday and urged them to seek shelter as police struggled to solve a series of slayings. Staff members and volunteers from Colorado Coalition for the Homeless walked downtown streets talking to the homeless and offering shelter. They said many accepted in the wake of Wednesday's discovery of two decapitated bodies in a field behind Union Station, where many homeless people camp. Police have identified the bodies, but are withholding names until next of kin are notified. Autopsy results also will not be released until detectives consult with the coroner and other experts who are conducting forensic tests, Sgt. Tony Lombard said Saturday. Seven homeless men have been killed within a one-mile radius near Coors Field since Sept. 7. Police have made arrests in one case, the beating death of Melvin Washington, 47, who died Sept. 15. Three homeless youths, ages 20, 18 and 16, are charged with first-degree murder. Denver police acknowledged that, in addition to the FBI, detectives are receiving assistance from sheriff's investigators in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties and other law enforcement agencies. Lombard said detectives Saturday interviewed possible witnesses to the slayings and those who might have known the victims. They also were cataloging and evaluating evidence recovered from the 24-acre field. Police also are receiving information from out-of-state police departments about similiar cases. Denver police have received about 200 calls from possible tipsters, said detective Manny Alvarez, who runs the agency's Crimestoppers program. Meanwhile, providers for the homeless continue their work on the streets. John Goren, David Mitchell and other members of the coalition talked to about 50 homeless people while walking the 16th Street Mall, lower downtown, Confluence Park, Cherry Creek and Civic Center Park. They offered safe shelter and even hotel vouchers. "A lot of people are receptive," Goren said. The coalition also is staffing an outreach center -- a tent at 19th and Chestnut streets in the same field where the beheaded men were found. The tent will be staffed around the clock until at least Tuesday, said coalition president John Parvensky. "Some people we talked to downtown came by the tent. Others said they would stop by tonight if they couldn't get into a shelter," he said Saturday. Some homeless men don't like sleeping in shelters, so they will be allowed to camp near the tent, assured that someone will always be there, Goren said. "They have that option. There are people who for mental health reasons or otherwise are afraid to go to the shelters," he said. The coalition has obtained permission to exceed the capacity of shelters, if necessary, to house everyone, Parvensky said. "I think we let our guard down after the arrest of the teens. We thought the problem had been licked," he said. "After the discovery of the two men this week, we thought we had to do something more dramatic in terms of going to where they are and getting them into shelters." Parvensky said he had no idea who might be targeting homeless men. "It's beyond me how someone could do this," he said. But he said the coalition would continue heightened efforts to protect the homeless until the cases are solved. "We're going to assume there's someone still out there until the police tell us otherwise," he said. November 21, 1999
Homeless advocates aggressively sought out Denver's down and out Saturday and urged them to seek shelter as police struggled to solve a series of slayings.
Staff members and volunteers from Colorado Coalition for the Homeless walked downtown streets talking to the homeless and offering shelter.
They said many accepted in the wake of Wednesday's discovery of two decapitated bodies in a field behind Union Station, where many homeless people camp.
Police have identified the bodies, but are withholding names until next of kin are notified.
Autopsy results also will not be released until detectives consult with the coroner and other experts who are conducting forensic tests, Sgt. Tony Lombard said Saturday.
Seven homeless men have been killed within a one-mile radius near Coors Field since Sept. 7.
Police have made arrests in one case, the beating death of Melvin Washington, 47, who died Sept. 15. Three homeless youths, ages 20, 18 and 16, are charged with first-degree murder.
Denver police acknowledged that, in addition to the FBI, detectives are receiving assistance from sheriff's investigators in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties and other law enforcement agencies.
Lombard said detectives Saturday interviewed possible witnesses to the slayings and those who might have known the victims. They also were cataloging and evaluating evidence recovered from the 24-acre field.
Police also are receiving information from out-of-state police departments about similiar cases.
Denver police have received about 200 calls from possible tipsters, said detective Manny Alvarez, who runs the agency's Crimestoppers program.
Meanwhile, providers for the homeless continue their work on the streets.
John Goren, David Mitchell and other members of the coalition talked to about 50 homeless people while walking the 16th Street Mall, lower downtown, Confluence Park, Cherry Creek and Civic Center Park. They offered safe shelter and even hotel vouchers.
"A lot of people are receptive," Goren said.
The coalition also is staffing an outreach center -- a tent at 19th and Chestnut streets in the same field where the beheaded men were found.
The tent will be staffed around the clock until at least Tuesday, said coalition president John Parvensky.
"Some people we talked to downtown came by the tent. Others said they would stop by tonight if they couldn't get into a shelter," he said Saturday.
Some homeless men don't like sleeping in shelters, so they will be allowed to camp near the tent, assured that someone will always be there, Goren said.
"They have that option. There are people who for mental health reasons or otherwise are afraid to go to the shelters," he said.
The coalition has obtained permission to exceed the capacity of shelters, if necessary, to house everyone, Parvensky said.
"I think we let our guard down after the arrest of the teens. We thought the problem had been licked," he said. "After the discovery of the two men this week, we thought we had to do something more dramatic in terms of going to where they are and getting them into shelters."
Parvensky said he had no idea who might be targeting homeless men.
"It's beyond me how someone could do this," he said.
But he said the coalition would continue heightened efforts to protect the homeless until the cases are solved.
"We're going to assume there's someone still out there until the police tell us otherwise," he said.
November 21, 1999
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