Sheriff's department to issue two versions, short one for public, long for law agencies

By Jeff Kass and Tillie Fong
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writers

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department revealed Monday that it will wrap up its Columbine investigation with two reports -- a shorter, edited one for the public and a longer one for law enforcement.

The announcement angered some victims' families.

"I want the full version," said Angela Sanders, daughter of slain teacher, Dave Sanders. "I don't want any edited crap."

Undersheriff John Dunaway said unreleased details could be used to prosecute anyone who helped Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold carry out the April 20 murders at the suburban high school.

Sheriff's officials have long maintained that they do not believe anyone directly aided Harris and Klebold. Dunaway reiterated that stance Monday.

"We have no known evidence that would suggest conspiracy by others," he said at a meeting of the Governor's Columbine Review Commission. "But if we got future information on that, we want to preserve the ability to successfully prosecute such individuals."

The so-called investigative report will withhold information on events leading up to the shooting and some graphic details, Dunaway said.

"We frankly just don't believe that is something that needs to be shared," Dunaway said.

The public report will contain all major findings.

"There is literally nothing of significance ... that is withheld," he said.

Dunaway said Columbine remains an open case. And it is standard operating procedure for law enforcement to withhold crime details only a suspect would know so police can confirm they have the right person.

The investigative report is not an actual bound report, Dunaway said. Rather, it is shorthand for all of the information gathered by investigators.

Sue Petrone, mother of murdered student Daniel Rohrbough, asked, "What do they have to hide?

"It's like having two sets of books for the IRS -- one to hide what you got, the other whatever you make up.

"I think it's cruel. This is my only son. I should know blow by blow, shot by shot, how he died.

She said that the sheriff's office told families they would get the investigative report.

"Now, all of a sudden, they say, 'We'll just give you the edited version'?" she said. "I don't buy it."

Larry Nimmo, stepfather of murdered student Rachel Joy Scott, was disappointed to hear the news from the media and not from the sheriff's department.

"It's just typical of the way things work," he said.

He said the families should be given the option to decide which report they want.

The likely release date of the public report is in late May, Dunaway said.

The sheriff's department came under fire at Monday's meeting for the long delay in releasing a report. But Dunaway said the department wanted to avoid releasing it around the one-year anniversary date and also near the May 20 school graduation date.

Also, Dunaway said, the delay was inevitable because only one staff member worked full time on the public report, although others in the department have assisted.

"I have never seen a report that's almost a year in the making," task force member Bob Miller, a former U.S. attorney for Colorado, told Dunaway.

Miller said such a delay would have made a prosecution in the case "impossible."

Nimmo was worried about the possibility of other law enforcement agencies seeing the report.

"I do not have the confidence that another police department won't let it slip out," he said.

Petrone agreed.

"Eventually, everything leaks out from Jefferson County."

Contact Jeff Kass at (303) 892-5212 or kassj@RockyMountainNews.com.Tillie Fong contributed to this report.