Staff Sergeant Gonzales cold-called: Gonzales had gotten a list of seniors from the high school.
Eric hounded Mark Manes: Manes testified about the ammunition at his sentencing hearing.
Eric spent the night at Dylan’s: Dylan’s parents described the sleepover in their police interview.
Eric left his microcassette: In its response to the Supreme Court decision, Jeffco ignored the existence of the “Nixon” microcassette. Aside from Eric’s odd label and the two sentences recorded in an obscure evidence log, nothing is known about the tape. Even Dr. Fuselier has never heard it. It remains in limbo. The Jeffco sheriff has the power to release it at any time.
CHAPTER 51. TWO HURDLES
to share his analysis: I interviewed Dr. Ochberg several times and eventually gained FBI approval to speak to Agent Fuselier. We began a series of interviews, and he directed me to the classic books on psychopathy and to other experts brought in by the FBI. After several years of research—while also working on other projects—I published the results in the piece cited in the text. It was called “The Depressive and the Psychopath,” and ran in Slate.
the first and only media interview: David Brooks wrote an insightful and empathetic summary of his interviews with Tom and Sue Klebold. He was generous enough to share additional thoughts with me by phone.
Kiekbusch filed a formal objection: The Rocky also phoned former sheriff John Stone for a comment. He called the investigation a “bunch of bullshit.” He told the reporter he was a “horse’s ass” and hung up. The paper printed all that.
Undersheriff Dunaway told the Denver Post he had done nothing wrong and again pointed the finger at Brooks Brown. He repeated, on the record, the old accusation that Brooks had known about the murders in advance. No scrap of evidence has ever come to light supporting that charge.
Mr. D strode out dressed as Barry Manilow: I attended the assembly. I watched from the bleachers and took photos.
He lost big: Thomas lost to incumbent Representative Bob Beauprez (R) 55-42 percent, with all precincts reporting.
the Platte Canyon shooting: My depictions of this event came primarily from live television coverage, which I watched and recorded on two stations as it happened, as well as follow-up reports from authorities.
CHAPTER 52. QUIET
any crap this might instigate: Dylan’s quote was slightly longer, with an inaudible word.
that fly CD: It’s unclear whether he was using “fly” as an adjective (slang for “cool”) or a title. In 2008, iTunes listed eighty-eight songs with fly in the title.
The boys wandered: They were observed by numerous witnesses, and surveillance cameras in the commons recorded their activity there, with time stamps. Jeffco released highlight footage, and Agent Fuselier described his impressions of the full tape to me.
Fuselier and a colleague: I was the colleague.
found the room quite different: Depictions of the library scene when the killers returned to commit suicide were based on several sources, including: autopsy reports; my interviews with investigators who observed the scene; police video of the room after the bodies were removed; and standard medical information on the decomposition of bodies in the first thirty minutes; and checked with investigators for applicability to the actual conditions in this case. The killers’ suicides were reconstructed from testimony, autopsy reports, police diagrams, police reports, and police photos of the killers’ bodies.
Patrick Ireland, gently breathing: Patrick went in and out of consciousness. It’s possible, though unlikely, that he might have already begun to crawl away from his initial position. There’s a remote possibility that he could have been conscious during the suicides. He has no memory of them.
CHAPTER 53. AT THE BROKEN PLACES
Two thousand mourners turned out: I attended both events for the memorial, in 2006 and 2007.
They married: Depictions of the wedding came from attendees.
Local churches felt a surge: I interviewed a large number of local pastors about activity in their congregations over the intervening years. The pattern was remarkably similar, and followed historical trends. The Barna Group did a major study on the religious impact of 9/11. It found a similar surge on a national leveclass="underline" half of Americans said their faith helped them cope; church attendance spiked—doubling in some churches the first Sunday; and a sizable minority of people actually altered their core beliefs. The latter change flouted conventional wisdom, though—turning away from fundamentalist beliefs: slightly fewer people believed in an all-powerful God, or in Satan as an actual entity. All the changes disappeared within four months. And five years later, rates on every measure were still indistinguishable from pre-9/11.
When a journalist stopped by: I was the journalist.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
In addition to these sources, this book relies on my reporting for several periodicals, published in somewhat different form. The articles appeared in 1999 through 2007 in Salon, Slate, 5280, and the New York Times. Links to those and online versions of many works below are available on my Web site at davecullen.com/columbine. Instructions for obtaining evidence released by Jefferson County and other agencies are also available there.
GOVERNMENT REPORTS ON COLUMBINE AND SCHOOL SHOOTERS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “School-Associated Student Homicide: United States, 1992-2006.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 57, no. 2 (January 18, 2008): 33-36.
EI Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Reinvestigation into the Death of Daniel Rohrbough at Columbine High School on April 20, 1990. April 10, 2002.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Department of Justice. Critical Incidence Response Group. National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective, by Mary Ellen O’Toole. 2000.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Office Final Report on the Columbine High School Shootings. CD. May 15, 2000.
Lindsey, Daryl. “A Reader’s Guide to the Columbine Report.” Salon, May 17, 2000. http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2000/05/17/guide/index.html.
The Report of Governor Bill Owens’ Columbine Review Commission. Hon. William H. Erickson, chairman. May 2001.
U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education. The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States. May 2002.
THE KILLERS: EVIDENCE RELEASED
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Laboratory Report. Released by Jefferson County on May 31, 2000.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Laboratory Report. CD. Released by Jefferson County on February 6, 2002.
Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General. Columbine-Related Grand Jury Report: Supplemental Attorney General Investigative Report. Released on September 16, 2004.