Aurora – Supporters of Shelley Lowe and Aaron Thompson rallied around the couple Tuesday after The Denver Post reported allegations that they buried Aaroné Thompson in a field after she died in the family home.
Family friends and Lowe’s newly appointed attorney said holes exist in the homicide investigation that has labeled Lowe and Thompson as persons of interest in the suspected death of Aaroné, who would have turned 7 a week ago.
“Obviously if (the police) had the evidence, they would charge (the couple) rather than try the case in the media,” said Denver defense attorney Walter Gerash, who agreed to become Lowe’s attorney on Tuesday.
Aaroné was reported missing Nov. 14 by her father, hours after a caseworker visited the home at 16551 E. Kepner Place. Three days later, the case was deemed a homicide investigation, and the remaining children were removed from the home and placed in foster care. Police say they don’t have a credible report of Aaroné being seen alive in the past 18 months.
The Post cited a social services plan, which stated police interviewed Lowe’s former common-law husband, Eric Williams, a state prison inmate. He told detectives about a meeting with Lowe in which she told him that Aaroné was bleeding in a bathtub after “something” happened and stopped breathing. Later, Lowe and Thompson buried her in a field, according to Williams.
Children reportedly told investigators they were beaten with belts and were told by Lowe and Thompson to lie to investigators about seeing Aaroné recently. The children later said they hadn’t seen her since October 2004, according to the report.
Gerash discounted the children’s interviews.
“I don’t know if they were cross-examined,” he said. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know if those statements are any good. The parents should have been advised.”
Family spokesman Sam Riddle called Williams’ allegation of a conversation with Lowe outrageous.
“Police relied on a convict to justify their statement that Aaroné has been dead for a year and a half,” he said. “You have a guy playing a get-out-of-jail card. There are a lot of credibility issues with this guy. For the police to have relied on this man to create a blanket of presumed guilt is completely wrong.”
Family friend and activist Alvertis Simmons also didn’t believe Williams, who has two children with Lowe.
“Williams is (Lowe’s) teacher. He taught her all this con game stuff and why is he now believable,” Simmons said. “Why all of a sudden is he credible?”
Aurora police wouldn’t comment Tuesday on The Post report, or the criticisms.
Williams, 38, has a history of lawbreaking.
Denver police first arrested him in 1998 on charges he had two rocks of crack cocaine. A year later, he was arrested again, this time with a crack pipe and another rock in his pocket.
In both cases, Williams pleaded guilty and was sentenced to community corrections, where he was able to check in and out and hold a job. In one case, he said he would live with Lowe when he was released.
But Williams was charged with attempted escaped three times, including most recently in February 2004 when he left the CMI Dahlia facility in Denver. He was convicted, and his mandatory release date is March 2009. His next parole date is in July.
Arapahoe County defense attorney Philip Smith said it is difficult to speculate on Williams’ motive.
“To a cynic … he is trying to curry favor with the parole board,” Smith said. “It’s always possible that he is telling the truth. There is a strong culture in prison of looking down on snitches. That culture competes with another area where people who commit crimes against children are in disfavor. You have two competing issues there.”
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer may be reached at 303-820-1175 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
