The suspect in the shooting deaths of a Thornton couple left a note for his wife apologizing “for being a bad husband,” according to court documents.
Lance Leroy McDermed, 36, is being held at the Adams County Jail on suspicion of gunning down neighbors Vera and Marco Escobedo when they responded to a knock at their door Saturday.
McDermed, who faces two possible murder charges, turned himself in to Thornton police Monday afternoon.
The double-shooting happened about 6:40 p.m. in the 9100 block of Gale Boulevard at the Autumn Creek condominium complex.
According to an arrest affidavit, McDermed called his stepbrother about 5:30 p.m. the day of the shooting and asked him to come by his condominium so they could “visit.”
The stepbrother, who was driving, called McDermed when he got close to the condo, and they had a short exchange.
McDermed told his stepbrother that he left house keys for him on a pedestal so the stepbrother could get in and out and take care of McDermed’s dogs, the affidavit said.
Before hanging up, McDermed told his stepbrother to “tell (his wife) that he loves her and he is sorry.”
He also told his stepbrother about a note he left for his wife.
According to the affidavit, a 33- year-old male relative of the Escobedos was inside the home when the shootings took place.
The relative told police that Vera Escobedo, 41, answered a knock at the door and that a man told her he had struck her husband’s vehicle, the affidavit states.
The relative told investigators that he heard a gunshot and something banging against a wall. A moment later, the relative heard three more gunshots and saw 44-year-old Marco Escobedo fall to the floor. The relative gathered his two children, ages 2 and 4, “and covered them with his body on the couch,” the affidavit said.
The gunman fired several more shots inside the unit, perhaps as many as six, and then left.
A neighbor heard the shots and looked out his window to see the gunman walking away from the unit, the affidavit said. The neighbor told investigators that he did not see the gunman’s face but recognized him as McDermed, based on the shooter’s build and “style of clothing.”
McDermed had several run-ins with the victims over the years, according to neighbors, and Vera Escobedo had filed a complaint with police in July stating McDermed had harassed her verbally.
Prosecutors have until Friday morning to officially charge the suspect, who is being held without bail.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
