Golden – Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink today will release 936 pages of Columbine documents seized from the homes and vehicles of killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris after the April 20, 1999, school shootings.
Included are diaries written by Klebold and Harris; a journal written by Harris’ father, Wayne; Harris’ and Klebold’s day planners and school papers.
“Hopefully, this will be useful to mental-health professionals who can look at the writings and get some insight into where they were at and where they were going,” Mink said.
Klebold’s and Harris’ parents decided not to challenge the release by Wednesday’s deadline, which Mink announced June 19.
“There is a desire to get the litigation over with. It’s time to get this matter resolved,” said Gary Lozow, the Klebolds’ attorney.
Michael Montgomery, representing the Harrises, sent a letter to Jefferson County Assistant County Attorney Writer Mott on Wednesday saying the parents of Eric Harris will not be filing a challenge.
The Denver Post had sought the materials since 2001. Steve Zansberg, an attorney for the newspaper, said The Post agreed not to challenge Mink’s decision after being informed that the Klebolds and Harrises would not file challenges.
In November, the Colorado Supreme Court agreed with The Post that the items taken by investigators under search warrants were criminal-justice records, which cleared the way for their release.
The court left it up to Mink to decide whether to release the materials after applying a public-benefit “balancing test.”
Mink solicited comment from families of the Columbine victims, law enforcement officials and people affiliated with Columbine High School.
Mink decided to withhold an audiotape and the “basement” videotapes made by the killers before the shootings, which left 12 students and a teacher dead and two dozen others injured. After the shootings, the two boys killed themselves.
“The tapes are very, very disturbing” and could motivate copycats, Mink said.
The Post had sought the writings and tapes but didn’t want “further protracted legal proceedings,” Zansberg said. “The fight over the basement tapes wasn’t really The Denver Post’s issue because it had seen the tapes and reported on them.”
Staff writer Howard Pankratz contributed to this report.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
