Colorado Springs – Prosecutors may seek the death penalty for Jereme Lamberth, who was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of Colorado Springs police officer Jared Jensen.
“We are considering capital punishment in the case. Again, considering, and I don’t think that comes as a surprise to anyone,” Amy Mullaney, assistant district attorney, said in court Monday.
Lamberth, 30, was charged with first-degree murder and six other charges in connection with the Feb. 22 shooting of Jensen, 30. The officer was trying to arrest Lamberth, a fugitive at the time, when he was shot once in the head.
Lamberth, who appeared in court Monday in an orange jumpsuit, also was charged with attempted first-degree murder and eight other crimes in connection with the Feb. 2 stabbing of his sister, Melanie Schweinhardt. She was stabbed 13 times during a family disturbance at their mother’s apartment. Jensen was trying to arrest Lamberth for the alleged stabbing when he was killed.
Jensen’s widow, Natalie, was in the courtroom Monday. She declined to talk to reporters.
Public defender Bill Martinez told District Judge Larry Schwartz that deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office are hovering and eavesdropping on conversations between Lamberth, his attorneys and investigators.
“We are still, in our view, not being granted what we view as the safe visitation with our client,” Martinez said. “The door is still being left ajar. … He is entitled to private communications.”
Mullaney said the tight security is in place because Lamberth has an “extensive criminal record” and deputies are protecting the attorneys and themselves.
Schwartz has set a hearing at 3 p.m. March 27 to discuss the matter. Also that day, the judge will consider a motion filed by The Denver Post and The Colorado Springs Gazette to unseal the court file.
Lamberth will be back in court again on April 3, when a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
