LOOK: Six Of History’s Most Disturbing Colorado Killers

Colorado's list of notable criminals living out their days in our prisons includes names like Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo”, and shoe bomber Richard Reid. Thankfully, these criminals are behind bars for good as Colorado has already seen its fair share of bad guys.

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Who gets your vote as the most notable criminal in Colorado history? Hit the message button on our station app to share your answer with us, and keep reading to learn more about six individuals who might be worthy of the title.

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Scott Lee Kimbell: Boulder, Colorado

Scott Lee Kimball, a Colorado native, is a notorious con artist and serial killer who operated between 2003 and 2004. Posing as an FBI informant, he used his position to cover up the murders of at least four individuals, including a missing 19-year-old, Kaysi McLeod. Kimball's conviction earned him a 70-year prison sentence in 2009. His case is notable for the deception and abuse of trust he leveraged to commit his crimes, making it one of Colorado's most chilling criminal stories. Learn more about his crimes here.

Aurora Theater Shooter: James Holmes

James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater on July 20^th, 2012. Holmes's well-planned attack terrified a crowd viewing a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. He was sentenced to 12 life terms without parole plus 3,318 years. The case is particularly notable for its impact on public safety discussions and mental health awareness, as Holmes was revealed to have a history of psychological issues. Learn more about the case here.

United Airlines Bomber Jack Gilbert Graham

Jack Gilbert Graham committed one of the most shocking crimes ever to take place in Colorado when he killed all 44 people on board United Airlines Flight 629 as it left Denver on November 1^st, 1955. The list of Graham’s victims on the plane that day would even include his mother. The whole thing was a life insurance scam that amounted to mass murder for profit. Graham was convicted and executed in 1957. The tragedy impacted airline security practices in Colorado ever since. Learn more about the case here.

Chuck E. Cheese Killer: Nathan Jerard Dunlap

Nathan Dunlap was let go from his job at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Aurora, Colorado, in 1993. Upon being fired, Dunlap would return to the restaurant to kill four individuals and injure one person. The shooting would go on to be one of the most famous workplace revenge shootings of the 1990s. Dunlap was sentenced to death in 1996 and commuted to life without parole in 2020 when Colorado abolished the death penalty.

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The Happiest Man on Death Row

23-year-old Joe Arridy was wrongfully convicted for the 1936 murder of a 15-year-old girl in Pueblo, Colorado. Arridy had an intellectual disability that caused serious doubt about his involvement in the crime, non-the-less it is believed he was talked into admitting to the crime. He was sentenced to death by execution in the gas chamber in 1939. Arridy was posthumously pardoned in 2011 by Governor Bill Ritter. Learn more here.

Colorado's Youngest Murderer: Anton Woode

Anton Woode, known as Colorado's "boy murderer," was convicted in 1893 at the age of 10 for shooting and killing 14-year-old Joseph Smith over a dispute involving game hunting. Sentenced to life in prison, his case drew national attention due to his young age and the brutality of the crime. Woode served about half his sentence before earning early parole much to the horror of the Colorado media. By 1906, Woode was given a full pardon.