BURLINGTON — While it looked like another slow and sleepy Sunday morning in this farm town about 20 miles from the Kansas border, a pall covered the place as people filed into services at the Evangelical Free Church.
In everyone’s thoughts were Charles Long, 50, and his wife, Marilyn, 51 — longtime members of the congregation, parents of seven children ages 5 to the mid-20s, and murder victims.
The Longs were shot to death in their home one block from the church Tuesday evening.
The alleged shooter is the Longs’ 12-year-old son. The two youngest children — Ethan, 9, and Sara, 5 — were flown to a Denver hospital in critical condition.
“This whole community is pretty torn up, particularly this church,” said Mick David, who was attending services with his family.
The yellow crime-scene tape that circled the Longs’ home has been removed, and deflated balloons drape over a pile of teddy bears and wilted flowers left on the sidewalk.
The Long family was deeply involved with the church and seldom missed a service, Richard and Hazel Stitzel said before Sunday’s services.
“The congregation is really shocked. It’s going to be a hard Sunday,” Richard Stitzel said. “There are just so many questions swirling around.”
The Stitzels have lived in Burlington for 32 years and have attended the church for about 23 years.
The couple said they knew the Long family well and often shared meals in their home.
“You can’t believe that’s what happened,” Hazel Stitzel said. “That a 12-year-old could do that, especially by himself.”
District Attorney Robert Watson filed a petition in juvenile court Friday declaring the boy a delinquent in the killings. The boy’s name is being withheld by The Denver Post because he is being treated as a juvenile.
Watson said he will not make a decision on whether to ask a judge to transfer the case to district court for adult charges until he speaks to the family and has considered all the factors in the case.
Marilyn Long ran the Sunday-school program at the church.
The 12-year-old boy usually passed out the Sunday bulletins before services, Richard Stitzel said.
The boy, who knew that he would be away at a youth retreat the previous Sunday, asked Stitzel to fill in for him. Stitzel said that as he was greeting the congregation, Sara assured him that her older brother would be back soon.
“You cannot blame God for this,” Stitzel said. “No one in our congregation blames God for this.”
The congregation is full of sadness and questions, Ron Lee, the church’s pastor, said as he was being handed cards and letters for the Long family.
Media members were not allowed in the church during services.
Congregation member Doug Duell said he did not know Marilyn and Charles Long well but that he sensed their absence.
“The pastor sent a great message,” Duell said as he ran his fingers along the pages of his Bible. “He talked about how we don’t know why — we all have a lot of emotions — but through God’s mercy and power, we’ll be all right.”
A memorial fund has been created, with the proceeds to benefit the Long children. Donations can be made to the Charles and Marilyn Long memorial fund and sent to the Bank of Burlington at P.O. Box 129, Burlington, CO 80807.
Jordan Steffen: 303-9454-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
