Centennial – Aaron Thompson learned Thursday that he will face 60 charges, ranging from allegations he killed his daughter Aaroné to charges that officials say could involve other children in the home.
The charges revealed in Arapahoe County court include child abuse resulting in death, abuse of a corpse, assault with a deadly weapon and eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. They come after an 18-month investigation and a year-long grand jury probe.
Police say they have been working on the case nonstop since the girl, then 6 years old, was reported missing by her father on Nov. 14, 2005.
“For 18 months, there has been criticism and scorn directed at this department by followers and supporters of Aaron Thompson and (his common- law wife) Shelley Lowe. Today is our response: a 60-count indictment,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said outside police headquarters. He was flanked by detectives who worked the case.
“Where are these people today, and what do they have to say?”
Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Thompson appeared in the Arapahoe County courtroom in shackles and said little during the hearing. His court- appointed attorney, Jim O’Connor, waived the formal advisement of charges.
Thompson was returned to Arapahoe County jail, where he is being held on $500,000 bail. His next court appearance is May 29.
His initial attorney, David Lane, withdrew from the case during the hearing, after Chief District Judge William Sylvester denied his request to use state money for investigation of the charges.
After the hearing, Lane slammed the Police Department for questioning Thompson without his attorney present. Oates later said Lane’s claims weren’t relevant.
The 39-year-old Thompson was arrested Wednesday, after the grand jury indicted him.
Sylvester ordered part of the indictment unsealed, but with the facts supporting the charges and the names of the victims redacted.
Police said they have collected hundreds of pieces of evidence and traveled to Florida, Michigan and Haiti during the investigation. They believe Aaroné may have been dead for more than a year before she was reported missing.
Some of the charges do not involve Aaroné, officials said, but they did not elaborate. They could involve some of the eight other children Thompson and Lowe took care of.
Lowe died a year ago of a heart attack. Both had been called “persons of interest,” but neither had been arrested in the case.
If convicted of just the first charge in the indictment, child abuse resulting in death, Thompson could be sentenced to up to 48 years in prison.
There were no murder charges among the 60 counts.
“It’s not for us to make that decision,” District Attorney Carol Chambers said. “That’s the grand jury’s decision based on the evidence they see. I think we charged what the evidence supports.”
As for the deadly-weapon charge, Englewood attorney Kevin Flesch said the courts interpret a deadly weapon as “almost anything,” including guns, knives, a person’s hands or even a ladder. And as for the abuse- of-a-corpse charge, Flesch said that could be from the body not being “disposed of” in the proper fashion.
“They must have some evidence that the child died in the house somewhere and they did something with the body that wasn’t appropriate,” Flesch said, “either put it somewhere or didn’t dispose of it properly.”
Staff writer Carlos Illescas can be reached at 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
