The bulletin that police issued one cold November day in 2005 was worrisome: A 6-year-old girl in a ponytail and pink sweatpants was missing from her Aurora home. It was snowing, and the temperature was dropping.
Soon, 60 police officers, a bloodhound and an airplane were involved in the search for Aaroné Thompson, but investigators were quickly suspicious about the family’s lack of cooperation.
Last month, Aaron Thompson, the little girl’s father, was arrested on 60 criminal counts. Exactly why he was charged, we still don’t know. That’s because the judge in the case has ordered virtually all details about it sealed. His rationale is that he is trying to preserve Thompson’s right to a fair trial by keeping secret the details of what Thompson is accused of doing.
It’s true that the heart-wrenching nature of the case has drawn significant attention. But it’s also true that other cases that were just as high profile – or more so – have been fairly adjudicated in Colorado without extreme secrecy shrouding basic facts of the alleged crimes.
Here are a few of them:
The Denver Post has filed a motion in the Thompson case asking that the grand jury indictment be unsealed. We hope Judge Mark Hannen reconsiders the order keeping details of the case secret and allows members of the public an opportunity to see for themselves why the father of a missing 6-year-old is behind bars.
