History

Benjamin Ratcliff was hanged in February 1896 for murdering three school board members in “the most brutal and unprovoked murder ever known in Park County,” according to the New Castle News.

In 1979, Zita Weinshienk became the first woman to sit on the federal bench in the state and she broke many glass ceilings.

Wilbur Alter is best known as a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court for two terms between 1928 and 1957.

Travis Forbes was sentenced to life in prison for the assault on and murder of Monge, plus 48 years to be served consecutively for the crimes against Tillman.

In 1927, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado granted the release of men involved in an armed clash in Weld and Boulder counties later deemed an “insurrection.” A 1928 appeal in the case was dismissed.

The murder of JonBenet Ramsey has been the subject of numerous TV specials, books, magazine spreads, documentaries and podcast episodes.

In 1985, the Colorado Supreme Court officially sanctioned camera and electronic coverage in courtrooms, but modern media coverage is still spotty.

Frank Steunenberg, the owner of the Cripple Creek Mine, was assassinated by dynamite in 1905 shortly after the conclusion of the Colorado Labor Wars.

The Denver Mint’s 1922 robbery was the “wildest gun battle in Denver history” and the first successful Mint Holdup.

The Denver DA in June announced it charged Steven Cumberbatch with the murder of Rita Desjardine, a breakthrough on a 1994 cold case.