For 14 years, Dean Withers worked the early morning shift as a King Soopers courtesy clerk, pricing groceries, restocking shelves and helping customers, thinking of his work as an “extended visit with family and friends,” his daughter-in-law Jill Withers said Wednesday.
But early Monday, the 80-year-old man was stabbed in the back at the entrance to the store at West 103rd Avenue and Federal Boulevard, allegedly by Ryan Nichols, who is diagnosed as schizophrenic.
As Dean Withers walked past, Nichols, 26, who was standing near the front of the store, said “Hi” to the older man and then stabbed him, police said.
Navy veteran
Jill Withers described her father-in-law as a “post-World War II veteran of the Navy,” a man whose many life experiences “did not help him to understand what happened Monday morning.”
“As always, he was his cordial self and had kind words to say to his attacker, which makes the situation even harder to understand for all of us,” she said during a family news conference at the Westminster police station Wednesday morning.
Dean Withers is in fair condition at St. Anthony Central Hospital.
“It’s a process of healing, and at his age, it may take a bit longer,” Jill Withers said. “It will be a long recovery, with time for him to recover both physically and mentally.”
Nichols was arrested Monday night at his parents’ home. He has been charged with first-degree assault and crimes against at-risk adults. He is in Adams County jail on $100,000 bail, Westminster police spokeswoman Heather Wood said.
Jim and Jan Nichols said that Ryan, their only child, has struggled with schizophrenia for years.
“The man at King Soopers, God bless him, because he was just an innocent bystander,” Jim Nichols said.
“Ryan has told police that he did commit the crime,” Jim Nichols said. “It’s not like he’s getting out of it. He’s a very honest person.”
The Withers family said they were grateful for the support they received from the community and law enforcement over the past 48 hours.
They also praised the security department at King Soopers for finding clear images of the attacker, which ultimately led to Nichols’ arrest.
No warning signs
Jim and Jan Nichols said they saw no signs that their son was slipping back into psychosis.
Since his diagnosis, they’ve worked closely with the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness to learn how to best provide the care their son needed.
They made sure he took his medication. When there were signs the medication wasn’t working right, they took him to the doctor for re-evaluation. But this time, they said, there were no signs.
“Everything we learned from NAMI on how to do things, we were implementing,” Jim Nichols said. “For whatever reason, something didn’t work right. Something in his mind switched on.”
The Nicholses say they will work closely with the district attorney and their son’s attorney to help do what “the court deems appropriate,” Jim Nichols said.
“We want to make this process as painless as possible for the Withers family and our family. It’s a tragedy for everyone involved.”
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083 or coconnor@denverpost.com
Forum in Boulder
What: The Interfaith Network on Mental Illness will hold a community forum to talk about the needs of people with mental illness and ways to respond appropriately. The event includes a screening of the movie “The Soloist” and a discussion with a panel of mental-health experts.
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine St., Boulder
