9News
As an investigative reporter for Denver’s top television station, it’s my job to dig into complicated situations, to look for the story behind the story:
- Story and video: Tracing the trail of the suspect in brutal 1984 hammer attacks that left 4 dead in Lakewood, Aurora. Feb. 3, 2020.
- Video: Connie Bennett has dealt with heartache almost none of us can imagine. Nov. 27, 2019.
- Story and video: 15 months after suspect named in hammer attacks, his extradition to Colorado still on hold. Nov. 20, 2019
- Story and video: Mother of girl who died after long illness indicted on murder, theft, fraud, child abuse allegations. Oct. 21, 2019
- Story and video:
- Part 1: Former Catholic priest acknowledges ‘I did do things that were wrong’ after 2 accusations of molestation. May 20, 2019.
- Part 2: Letter alleging Colorado Catholic priest’s abuse found a decade after the author took his own life. May 21, 2019
- Update: Report names 43 Colorado Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing at least 166 children since 1950. Oct. 23, 2019
- Story and video: How a relative’s at-home DNA test led the hunt for a California killer to a quiet Colorado street. April 29, 2019.
- Story and video:
- Part 1: Repeat drunk driver given multiple second chances before crash killed woman headed home from church. Feb. 18, 2019.
- Part 2: Four-time drunken driver caused Christmas Eve crash that shattered a family. Feb. 19, 2019.
- Part 3: Hundreds of repeat drunk drivers avoid prison despite felony DUI law. Feb. 20, 2019.
- Part 4: A fatal drunk-driving crash, 18 years in prison, then three more DUIs — and a plea deal. Feb. 21, 2019.
- Update: As DUI deaths climb, fewer sanctions, citations issued for serving already-drunk patrons. June 27, 2019.
- Follow-up: His probation officers did nothing when he missed or failed dozens of drug tests. What happened next was a deadly crash. Sept. 5, 2019
- Story and video: Annabel Bowlen moves to intervene in ongoing battle over control of the Broncos. Dec. 20, 2018.
- Video: Chris Watts’ mother wants to know why her son took the plea deal without talking to family. Nov. 13, 2018.
- Story and video: Fallout from 1984 murders includes financial struggles for survivor, grandmother. Oct. 25, 2018.
- Video: Time has never moved on for survivors of 1984 hammer attack. Oct. 25, 2018.
- Video: Nevada inmate wanted for murder after DNA ties him to notorious 1984 Colorado cold case. Aug. 10, 2018.
- Video: She was the sole survivor of one of Colorado’s most brutal crimes. Now, she’s telling her story. Aug. 9, 2018.
- Video: Man eyed in Colorado hammer attacks serving prison sentence in Nevada for similar crime. Aug. 8, 2018.
- Video: Aurora PD have possible suspect from 1984 killings. Aug. 7, 2018.
- Story and video: 9Wants to Know: A tale of 2 school threats. May 2, 2018.
- Story and video: Imagine if everyone in Buffalo moved to Denver. That’s what traffic will be like in 2040. Feb. 14, 2018
- Story and video: Coroners in Colorado have an important job with few requirements to get it. Dec. 27, 2017.
- Story and video: Colorado serial killer accused of hatching revenge, murder, escape plot from behind bars. Dec. 18, 2017.
- Story and video: Deadbolted doors, blocked windows found after fatal fire in home for adults with disabilities. Nov. 7-8, 2017.
- Story and video: Remembering Rocktober — Kevin Vaughan looks back on the Rockies playoff run. Oct. 3, 2017.
- Story and video: 9NEWS reporter remembers devastating Fort Collins flood. July 27, 2017.
- Story and video: New pocked of gas discovered in Firestone neighborhood. May 25, 2017.
- Story and video: BLAME: Jill Wells’ death certificate amended, case reopened. May 22, 2017.
- Story and video: 9NEWS reporter remembers Aaron Hernandez trial. April 19, 2017.
- Story and video: 9Wants to Know special report: BLAME. April 1, 2017.
- Story and video: When Colorado lost a major overpass. March 31, 2017
- Story and video: BLAME: Jill Wells’ son in his own words. March 10, 2017.
- Story and video: BLAME: Was the death of Jill Wells an accident or murder? Feb. 13-15, 2017.
- Podcast: Blame. Oct. 3, 2016, to Dec. 21, 2016.
- Story and video: New DNA testing in JonBenet Ramsey case discussed by Boulder DA, police. Dec. 13, 2016.
- Story and video: DNA in Doubt: What’s next in JonBenet Ramsey case. Oct. 28, 2016.
- Story and video: DNA in Doubt: A closer look at the JonBenet Ramsey case. Oct. 27, 2016.
- Story and video: Reporter remembers Tom Sutherland. July 27, 2016.
- Story: Cop pleads guilty to staging his own shooting. May 20, 2016.
- Story and video: 2 school bus accidents per day in Colorado. Feb. 26, 2016.
- Story and video: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 1. Feb. 1, 2016.
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 2, Feb. 2, 2016.
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 3, Feb. 3, 2016.
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 4, Feb. 4, 2016.
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 5, Feb. 5, 2016.
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 6, Feb. 6, 2016
- Story: Broncos in my blood, Chapter 7, Feb. 7, 2016
- Story and video: Documents: Commerce City officer shot with own weapon. Jan. 19, 2016.
- Story and video: Bus driver charged in crash had been written up 20 times. Dec. 28, 2015.
- Story and video: Fetus could be used as evidence in Denver rape case. Dec. 21, 2015.
- Discussion: BOP: Real-time reporting during mass shootings. Dec. 6, 2015.
- Story and video: Officer leaves Commerce City PD after shooting charges. Nov. 30, 2015.
- Story: Commerce City officer had past legal, financial issues. Nov. 18, 2015.
- Story: Video shows fire seconds after Flight for Life crash. Nov. 13, 2015.
- Story: Woman warned of man with rifle before deadly shooting. Nov. 4, 2015.
FOX SPORTS 1
As a national investigative reporter for Fox Sports 1 from its inception in August 2013, I covered some of the biggest stories involving athletes outside the arena:
- Story: Police missed a chance to investigate Aaron Hernandez after 2012 murders. May 20, 2015.
- Story and Video: A day in court: Behind the scenes as the Hernandez verdict arrived. April 15, 2015.
- Radio: Aaron Hernandez found guilty. April 15, 2015.
- Story: Aaron Hernandez trial: Defense chips away at footprint evidence. March 18, 2015.
- Story and Video: Jurors shown video of Aaron Hernandez dismantling phone. Feb. 17, 2015
- Story and Video: Odin Lloyd’s mother emotional at Aaron Hernandez trial, Feb. 4, 2015.
- Story and Video: Documents: Police, FSU hampered Jameis Winston investigation. Oct. 10, 2014.
- Radio: An inside look into the Adrian Peterson case. Oct. 8, 2014.
- Story and video: NCAA agrees to settle concussion lawsuit. July 29, 2014.
- Story: Judge OKs $2 billion sale of Los Angeles Clippers. July 28, 2014.
- Story: Donald Sterling makes testy appearance during fight for Clippers. July 8, 2014.
- Story: Aaron Hernandez is having trouble paying his attorneys. May 30, 2014.
- Story: Aaron Hernandez pleads not guilty in latest murder. May 28, 2014
- Story: Aaron Hernandez indicted in 2012 drive-by shooting in South Boston that left two men dead. May 15, 2014.
- Story: Why are so many colleges, universities facing federal investigations for their handling of sexual assault cases? May 12, 2014.
- Story: Federal government opens Title IX investigation of Florida State University’s handling of Jameis Winston sexual assault allegations. April 3, 2014
I-NEWS
As senior reporter at I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS between October 2012 and August 2013, I was involved in long-term investigative reporting on issues that matter to Colorado:
- Colorado’s Deadliest Neighborhood, May 19, 2013
- Gun Deaths in Colorado, March 10, 2013
- Losing Ground, Jan. 20, 2013
The Denver Post
As a staff writer and editor at The Denver Post between March 2009 and October 2012, I was fortunate to tackle interesting stories on a variety of topics:
- Aurora theater shooting: Alex Sullivan’s life is framed in touching memories, July 26, 2012
- Key questions linger in prominent cold case: The killing of Peggy Hettrick, Dec. 18, 2011
- Resolving 1993 murder of Englewood 5-year-old took advances in forensic science, Oct. 9, 2011
- Thrust into the role of a decider, May 22, 2011
- Adams road-widening project paved with irregularities, Feb. 27, 2011
The Crossing
I am often asked about “The Crossing” — the mammoth 34-part series I wrote for the Rocky Mountain News that was published in early 2007. The series examined the lifelong implications of Colorado’s worst traffic accident, a 1961 collision of a high-speed passenger train and a school bus outside Greeley that took the lives of 20 children. “The Crossing” was the most difficult, challenging, interesting and rewarding story I’ve ever told, and I was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for that series. After The Rocky’s demise, its website slowly disappeared and today that series and its extras, like the accompanying video documentaries, podcasts and photographs, are no longer accessible on the Internet. UPDATE — “The Crossing” is again accessible on the Internet! You can find it at here.
GREAT READS
As one who thinks almost non-stop about writing — who sits in movie theaters and considers the way the narrative was contructed — one of my great pleasures is to come across the work of others that moves me in some important way. Each of these stories, in my estimation, was masterfully written:
- Between the sacred and the mundane, The Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2011
- Lynwood mortuary director is skilled in the quiet rites of death, The Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2011
- What Happened to Air France Flight 447?, The New York Times Magazine, May 4, 2011
- Attacked by a grizzly, Part I, The Los Angeles Times, April 29, 2007
- Attacked by a grizzly, Part II, The Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2007
- Final Salute, the Rocky Mountain News, Nov. 9, 2005
- Resurrecting The Champ, Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1997