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(Breaking:Governor)Owens Calls for Columbine Grand Jury (Students "Gunned By" Swat,+KleboldAutopsy)
Rocky Mountain News ^ | Karen Abbott , Kevin Vaughan, John Sanko and Charlie Brennan

Posted on 01/05/2002 12:26:27 PM PST by t-shirt

Governor recommends that county attorney convene special panel

January 4, 2002 By John Sanko and Charlie Brennan, News Staff Writers

Gov. Bill Owens Thursday called for a grand jury investigation into the Columbine High School shootings. The governor, who impaneled his own state commission to review the 1999 tragedy, said Jefferson County District Attorney Dave Thomas should convene a grand jury on Columbine.

"I think Dave Thomas should re-examine his earlier decision not to call a grand jury," Owens told a meeting of Rocky Mountain News editors and editorial writers.

The governor's comments came the day after four victims' families called for a federal probe into the mass shootings and local law enforcement's response.

Jefferson County District Attorney Dave Thomas has not ruled out convening a grand jury, his spokeswoman, Pam Russell, said. "We are still open.'

New questions have come to light over the shooting of 15-year-old Daniel Rohrbough and whether he might have been gunned down accidentally by a Denver police officer rather than Columbine killers Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold.

Rohrbough's family claimed in federal court filings last month that Denver Police Sgt. Dan O'Shea shot their son during the emergency response to the April 20, 1999, massacre of 12 students and teacher Dave Sanders.

Although investigators insist witnesses saw the two killers shoot the boy early in the attack, the Rohrbough family released a tape recording Wednesday they said was Arapahoe County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Taylor saying their son was shot while fleeing the school.

"If he (Taylor) is lying, it's going to forever cloud the results of basically a pretty in-depth study," Owens said.

"I think subpoena powers might be helpful," Owens added. "I think Dave Thomas is probably reconsidering his decision of last March, which came before a number of these (new) allegations had been made."

Barry Arrington, the attorney representing five victim families including the Rohrboughs, said a Jefferson County grand jury investigation "would be wonderful.

"Dave Thomas has had two and a half years to appoint a grand jury, and hasn't. I would encourage a grand jury wherever we can get someone with subpoena power and the ability to place people under oath," Arrington said.

As recently as Dec. 20, Thomas promised Columbine victims' survivors that he would take another look at threats Eric Harris made before the massacre. But he has twice turned down requests from families to launch a grand jury probe. <:P> It may be several days before Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan hears the Rohrbough family's secretly recorded tape appearing to contradict Taylor's written statement about his actions at Columbine, which Sullivan released on Monday.

In that statement, Taylor claimed, "It is not true that I saw Daniel Rohrbough get shot or any other person . . . "

Sullivan's Monday press release went on to claim Taylor "was never in a position to witness or hear a weapon being fired" in the vicinity where Rohrbough's body was discovered, and that Taylor "never heard any gun shots on April 20th and never saw any deceased victims on April 20th."

The actions of Taylor that day are pivotal because they could help determine when Daniel Rohrbough was killed, and could potentially undermine the official version of events.

But Arapahoe County officials now say Taylor's comments to the Rohrbough family reflect only what he had seen on television or in newspapers.

Nevertheless, Sullivan is anxious to hear the Rohrbough family's tape that purports to catch Taylor in a flat contradiction of his official statement.

"It's obviously pretty informative, there's no doubt about that," Sullivan said, referring to those portions of the tape that have appeared in the media.

"But I want to know the whole context of what was going on. We need to hear the whole thing."

Rohrbough is setting conditions the sheriff must meet before reviewing the entire 2 1/2-hour tape.

"My position is going to be that there's some information in his office that he has never released," Rohrbough said. "There's a couple dozen police reports from his officers that have never been released" which substantiate Taylor being in position to see Daniel Rohrbough being shot.

"I'd like a confirmation of that information from Sheriff Sullivan, before the entire tape is released to him," Rohrbough said.

Owens does not have the authority to call a statewide grand jury. Attorney General Ken Salazar does, but he said a state grand jury typically is called where there are allegations of local corruption, which he said was not true in the present case.

The governor could name a special prosecutor but said he did not think that was appropriate.

Owens noted that a grand jury would have subpoena powers to compel testimony that his special Columbine commission, headed by former Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice William Erickson, did not.

The commission released a 200-page report last May that was highly critical of the way the incident was handled, claiming the two killers were given "free rein" of the school for 46 minutes and no effort was made to "engage, contain or capture" the killers.

Its report was criticized by Sheriff Stone, who blasted it as "inaccurate and irresponsible."

Stone refused to testify before the commission during its 10 months of hearings.

Staff writers Karen Abbott and Kevin Vaughan contributed to this report. Contact John Sanko at (303) 892-5404 or at sankoj@RockyMountainNews.com.

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Columbine lawyers want federal probe

January 4, 2002

By Karen Abbott, News Staff Writer

Colorado U.S. Attorney John Suthers said Thursday that no one has asked him to start a federal grand jury investigation of charges that Jefferson County sheriff's officials have lied about the Columbine shootings. But several lawyers for Columbine families said a federal probe is the only way to find the truth and they're going to ask Suthers to start one.

"I am going to file a formal request with John Suthers, to initiate a federal grand jury investigation," Barry Arrington, who represents the family of slain Columbine student Daniel Rohrbough, said Thursday.

The Rohrbough family has alleged that a Denver police officer shot their son to death in the chaos outside Columbine High School. They have accused Jefferson County sheriff's officials of covering up what really happened.

Suthers also said, in a statement issued through a spokesman, "Before devoting resources we need to have a reasonable belief that a federal crime has been committed."

Arrington said he has grounds. "The basis for that is the deprivation of constitutional rights. . .and the cover-up of that," he said.

Arrington also represents several other Columbine families who have said they are frustrated in their quest to know what really happened at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and in the activities of killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris during the 13 months before the shootings.

Denver U.S. District Judge Lewis Babcock dismissed several families' lawsuits against law enforcement and school officials in November, ruling that the families had not provided evidence that the officials acted egregiously enough to overcome their legal immunity from lawsuits.

But the families say newly public allegations -- about how Daniel Rohrbough was shot and how Harris wrote detailed plans in a diary months before the shootings, among other things -- do provide the required evidence.

They have asked Babcock to reconsider.

Arrington said a grand jury's subpoena power, and its ability to put witnesses under oath, is the only way the families will obtain the truth.

Two other lawyers for Columbine families agreed.

"They (sheriff's officials) have been hiding evidence not just on the Rohrbough shooting, but on the 13 months that these two kids, Klebold and Harris, were making threats, building bombs, exploding bombs," said Walter Gerash.

Attorney Stephen Wahlberg said, "I strongly feel that the Rohrbough family, and other families -- we, as people -- need to know what happened here."

----------------------------------------------------------

Autopsy of Klebold stays sealed

January 4, 2002

News had appealed judge's earlier ruling

By News Staff

A judge has denied a petition by the Rocky Mountain News to make public the entire autopsy report for Columbine High killer Dylan Klebold.

The four-page ruling by District Judge R. Brooke Jackson found that publication of details of Klebold's autopsy would offend a significant portion of the population in the Denver area.

The News had originally sought the autopsy reports for Klebold and his partner, Eric Harris, after a judge in 1999 sealed all of the autopsy reports in the Columbine tragedy.

After the News appealed, Harris' report was released. However, Klebold's family objected to the release of his autopsy report, and the issue has been in court since.

The News has sought the autopsy report as a way to answer lingering questions about whether Klebold killed himself. Although that was the official ruling, some evidence released in the past year appears to contradict that finding.

In his ruling, Jackson found that Klebold's parents, Tom and Sue Klebold, were "part of the group" of surviving family members.

"Whether or not one considers them blameworthy for the actions of their son -- a question on which I express no opinion -- they are parents who have lost a child," Jackson wrote. "They are parents whose lives were shattered on April 20, 1999. And, they are parents who state through counsel that they will be terribly hurt if the graphic details of their son's autopsy are published in the News or on the Internet or elsewhere."

John Temple, publisher and editor of the News, said he was disappointed by the ruling.

"It's obvious from recent events how many questions remain unanswered in the Columbine case," he said. "We regret that the judge does not believe in the healing power of our sunshine laws."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
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To: Dane
Here you go again with your strawman argument. Nobody is seeking to absolve Klebold and Harris of responsibility. What is being sought here is an investigation into whether or not an officer actually shot a fleeing student. If there's an officer out there who is prone to that kind of negligence, he needs to be exposed and removed.

Isn't there a Bush swoonfest thread going on somewhere? Go find it and stop interrupting while the grownups are talking.

81 posted on 01/06/2002 6:57:33 AM PST by Twodees
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To: Plummz
That is a very good read. Thanks!
82 posted on 01/06/2002 7:41:05 AM PST by Native American Female Vet
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To: Native American Female Vet
This Pam Russel is clearly overlooking the fact that misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance by elected or appointed officials are indeed criminal offenses in every state of the US.

I am usually disgusted when I read what some flunky says to try to cover up the venality of the position being taken by politicians, mainly because their statements are so mindlessly stupid.

83 posted on 01/06/2002 7:42:21 AM PST by Twodees
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To: Twodees
hehehehehe good one
84 posted on 01/06/2002 7:44:01 AM PST by Native American Female Vet
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To: Buckeroo
Buck, the cops weren't prevented from defending themselves, they protected themselves very well by hiding outside while the action was all inside. They were prevented from going inside to protect the students, for whatever reason. That particular failure shouldn't be allowed to stand as policy.

It's apparent that all you know about this came from ABC news or some similar source. Maybe you'd benefit from further reading.

85 posted on 01/06/2002 7:46:41 AM PST by Twodees
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To: Twodees
"This Pam Russel is clearly overlooking the fact that misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance by elected or appointed officials are indeed criminal offenses in every state of the US. "

Correct and this is a perfect example of why it should be since this looks like the LEO's are more interested in CYA than truth.

86 posted on 01/06/2002 7:58:38 AM PST by Native American Female Vet
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To: Dane
"If it wasn't for the actions of Klebold and Harris, 13 people would have not lost their lives that day. Many on FR will try to make this into some cop bashing and govt. conspiracy thread. But the ultimate blame belongs to Klebold and Harris, IMHO."

I'm not a cop basher by ANY means. And you are right that the two shooters caused the whole scenario. I'd not let them slide a bit. But if a cop has lied and it can be proven, that's a step against corruption and tyranny that should be taken. I can't believe this would EVEN be argued with. I've known and dealt with good cops. But then unfortunately I've also had to deal with 1 or 2 bad cops. And I assure you, I think there's nothing worse than a bad cop. Period. But also lets not forget the dead and their families.

87 posted on 01/06/2002 8:05:31 AM PST by Ozarkie
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To: Native American Female Vet
Yep, those offenses I mentioned should be the object of a grand jury. The nitwit spokeswoman who tried to float the diversionary argument that only a criminal offense could be the subject of a grand jury should have been challenged by the reporter who quoted her. Of course, that would require that reporters actually learn to be journalists. I don't think that the 4th estate is in danger of being invaded by real journalists.
88 posted on 01/06/2002 8:06:08 AM PST by Twodees
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To: Twodees
No police department allows a policy of mistakes. These guys know their responsibilities and not just to the community. You are on a witch-hunt and you are going up a dead-end.

I suggest that you go after current government policy that destroys our precious rights and freedoms. Go after BIG_POLITICAL_MACHINES that say they support the Constitution and then they turn-around and tear it up because, "it's the will of the people."

89 posted on 01/06/2002 8:24:52 AM PST by Buckeroo
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To: exit82; t-shirt
Good summation. Thanks, t-shirt

Others have made good points as well.

It was clearly evident that Sheriff Stone was acting on orders from "above" and that the SWAT teams were being ordered to not go into the school. Further, it is clear that the teacher was allowed to bleed to death - on purpose - even though the students with him had been rescued and pleaded with the officials to get the teacher out...but their pleas were not heeded.

Now - why would these non-actions be ordered "from above"?

One must always, always, always look at who benefitted from this "school shooting massacre". Whose agenda was enhanced?

If you said gun grabbing totalitarian wannabes who fear armed American citizens - you would be right.

That doesn't mean Harris and Klebold were not the guilty parties - of course they were. But again there were too many eyewitness reports of "other shooters" - people who, just like at OKC, and TWA800, were attempted to be talked out of seeing OTHERS than the OFFICIAL perpetrators by "investigators" - but who have never changed their stories or their minds.

The M.O. is so similar in all these "Clinton era events and 'investigations'" that I cannot understand why people miss the obvious.

It is clear that what happened at Columbine was a "controlled" event. That made the investigation become a "controlled" event also. In other words, at the best - higher up officials ordered LEO NOT to enter the school and the LEO's obeyed those orders. At the worst (and I have no problem thinking the worst about the Clinton Crime Machine) - some agents within the Clinton administration learned about Klebold and Harris, took them under their wing, nourished their plans and augmented them, probably promising them assisted escape after the deed was done but instead, gave them each a bullet in their temples, assisted as shooters and then participated in the lengthy coverup of the evidence - (why the bodies were not allowed to be moved for almost a day!!!)

Sheriff Stone knows exactly what happened and knows he would be lynched if he told the truth about what he knows. He enjoys breathing so he keeps the "STONE"wall going. People in the Clinton administration know the truth also. They know they would be lynched if the truth were known about their complicity in the Columbine massacre.

People in the Bush administration - those they have managed to get into positions with any authority - likely would not believe such horrors could be done. They only see "good government" at work and have no inkling of the depths of evil with which many in the previous administration operatives were filled.

The operatives are still in their old jobs likely - at the FBI - and at the CIA - a very chilling prospect. Mueller is not trustworthy because he was there under Clinton.

So, the beat goes on. The the injustice continues and will not be uncovered because the perpetrators enjoy breathing also.

But, again, there is a Judge who knows quite well exactly what happened. There is coming a day when every one of the perpetrators (not Klebold and Harris - they have already met their just end) will stand before God Almighty. No spin, no coverup, no lies will be tolerated there.

I would suggest any of these operatives who participated in this heinous crime should consider that coming forward with the truth today, confessing their deeds, and taking the just punishment for them in this life - meeting their Savior face to face NOW will make their eternal situation much more "comfortable". And, America CAN handle the truth......if only the "government" - the honest, good government people would give truth a chance!

90 posted on 01/06/2002 8:38:13 AM PST by Freedom'sWorthIt
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To: Dane
"But the ultimate blame belongs to Klebold and Harris"

Yep. Two nutty kids start shooting and the cops can kill anyone in sight, right?

91 posted on 01/06/2002 8:40:13 AM PST by PatrioticAmerican
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To: Buckeroo
"The police did what they could "

Wasn’t much was it? How HOURS after the H&K were dead and the shooting had stopped before they reached the teacher who bled to death from an injury that he could have lived through? "what they could"? I expect far more for my money.

92 posted on 01/06/2002 8:42:48 AM PST by PatrioticAmerican
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To: Freedom'sWorthIt
I enjoyed your post about "controlled events". That gives articulation to what I always thought was happening under Clinton but I couldn't come up with a phrase for it.

Information about events was always tightly controlled during the Clinton years, precisely because of the media's ideological kinship with Clinton and thosed who backed his rise to power. I say those who backed his rise to power because ther is no way that two-bit huckster from Little Rock who was ruled by his bent little head could ever amount to much without a whole lot of packaging, spinning, and agitprop fed to the masses to sell his worthless hide as a "leader" of anything.

As a country, we were hosed by this hayseed and his Marxist wife, no doubt about it.

But the "controlled event", as you put it, aptly describes the lockdown on information that occurred after Columbine, as occurred after OKC in 1995. Notice too, that our watchdog media has never ever fed us alternate stories or investigations about these highly suspicious incidents. But now that we have a Republican President, voila, the "homeless problem" is front page news again. Where the heck were these homeless people from 1993-2001 during Clinton--you never heard of them, right?!

Thanks for the phrase "controlled events". Columbine, OKC, Waco, TWA 800 , Vince Foster, Ron Brown, in my mind were all "controlled events".

They can call us "conspiracy nuts" if they want too, but I've lived long enough to know that if it don't smell right, it ain't right, and a whole lot of closer inspection is needed. And Columbine never smelled right.

93 posted on 01/06/2002 8:10:16 PM PST by exit82
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To: NoControllingLegalAuthority
SWAT teams are a scourge. In the old days, street cops were trained to handle shoot-outs. The widespread use of SWAT teams has caused deadly delay in response and have unnecessarily militarized local police.

51 posted on 1/5/02 6:21 PM Pacific by
NoControllingLegalAuthority

Correct! Completely correct!

Militarized police are basically trained cowardice---it's the idea that the life of the agent, troop or officer is the most important, by far, over the lives of the citizen, victim or hostage.

94 posted on 01/09/2002 12:47:24 PM PST by t-shirt
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To: t-shirt
"Sh*t, meet Fan."
95 posted on 01/09/2002 12:50:41 PM PST by Wolfie
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