Boulder – A teenage girl and her boyfriend, who are suspects in the stabbing death of the girl’s mother, have been ordered to provide DNA samples and fingerprints to investigators.
A judge Tuesday ordered Bryan Grove and Tess Damm to provide the material to help police determine who wrote a goodbye letter to the victim and a “to-do list” that investigators say was compiled after the slaying.
Grove, 17, faces a first-degree murder charge, and Tess Damm, 15, faces conspiracy and other charges. Both are being prosecuted as adults.
Police, acting on a tip, found the body of Linda Damm, 52, in the trunk of her car at her Lafayette home on Feb. 28. Investigators said the body had been in the car for about three weeks.
An autopsy found she had 18 knife wounds in her neck and a blood-alcohol level of 0.217 percent, more than twice the level at which a motorist is considered drunk.
Authorities allege Grove killed Linda Damm after discussing it with Tess. Tess Damm had complained to friends and police that her mother was an alcoholic who abused her.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents found a “letter to Mom” and the to-do list during a search of Linda Damm’s Lafayette home, according to court records. Prosecutors declined to discuss either.
Two other teens charged with helping in attempts to dispose of Linda Damm’s body also have been ordered to provide DNA samples and fingerprints.
Jared Guy, 18, charged with being an accessory and tampering with evidence, is scheduled to enter a plea next week. Jared Smith, 16, has pleaded guilty to an accessory charge and was sentenced to two years in juvenile detention.
