Arapahoe County – Aaron Thompson and Shelley Lowe emerged from a court hearing Wednesday, holding hands and walking wordlessly to their white van while photographers captured their every step.
Sources close to the case said the hearing was continued by Magistrate Gerald Rafferty until another day. Lowe, Thompson and their attorneys wouldn’t talk, apparently heeding a judge’s gag order.
Aurora police had been concerned the county was planning to return the eight children who were removed from the couple after a homicide investigation began over the disappearance of Thompson’s 6-year-old daughter, Aaroné.
Aurora police legal adviser Rob Werking had said the department was prepared to petition the judge against any type of reunion. On Wednesday, he said that wouldn’t be necessary.
“We’ve already worked out things with the county to ensure the best interest of the children is met,” he said. “We will have continued meetings with the county about this.”
Police Chief Daniel Oates said he understands that the county’s Department of Human Services has an obligation to reunite families, but “based on our investigation, that would be a poor choice.”
Oates said the department’s “investigation is progressing, and we are hopeful.” He wouldn’t elaborate.
Thompson reported Aaroné missing Nov. 14, and police searched 48 hours before deeming the case a homicide. Lowe’s ex-boyfriend told police that Aaroné had been killed in the house and buried in a field by Thompson and Lowe sometime in the previous year and a half, according to a report obtained earlier by The Denver Post.
No arrests have been made, and Aaroné’s body has never been found. Police have called Thompson and Lowe “persons of interest” in the case but have never labeled them as suspects.
The criminal allegations were enough to warrant the removal of the other children from the home, including Lowe’s 15-year- old brother, five of Lowe’s children, and Thompson’s 11-year- old son, who is Aaroné’s brother. A baby girl born to the couple in November was removed after birth. All of the children are in foster care.
Unless Lowe and Thompson are charged with a crime, the children aren’t likely to be in foster- care indefinitely, said Denver family-law attorney Rich Harris.
“The more the parents cooperate and the longer it goes without the police filing charges, the harder it’s going to be to prevent the reunification,” he said. “I think that every day that goes by, Aaron and Shelley’s position grows stronger.”
But any permanent reunion is likely to be a long process, he added.
First, Lowe and Thompson must complete a family-services plan set up by the court that may include steady employment, family counseling or drug or alcohol treatment. The family could have supervised visitation, working up to unsupervised home visits. That can take up to a year, said Harris.
“The county attorney would have to convince a judge that Aaron and Shelley aren’t a threat to the kids,” he said.
“Even if you believe they’re not involved with the disappearance of Aaroné, there is a lot of other information about those kids – suspicious marks on the kids’ bodies, Aaroné wasn’t in school, kids were told to lie about Aaroné’s disappearance. … The judge is required to make a judgment call. … I think he is going to err on the side of safety.”
The Rev. Acen Phillips, who has spoken for Lowe and Thompson, said Thompson lost his job and was turned down for unemployment compensation. He said Thompson and Lowe want to move back into their home and get their children back.
“There are no charges filed against the parents,” Phillips said. “Why not give the children back?”
Staff writer Jeremy Meyer can be reached at 303-820-1175 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
