The Gazette (Colorado Springs): New details about the slayings of two Coronado High School students will be released this week after an El Paso County judge lifted a seal on a key court document.
Fourth Judicial District Judge Larry E. Schwartz ruled Monday that an arrest affidavit detailing the investigation into the deaths of Colorado Springs students Natalie Cano-Partida, 16, and Derek Greer, 15, be made public within 72 hours.
The judge granted the three-day delay at the request of prosecutors, who asked for time to personally discuss the contents of the document with families of the young victims, who they said haven’t been told how the killings occurred.
The Gazette was among the media outlets that requested the release under Colorado’s open records laws, citing the public’s right to be informed about public safety threats. Several of those accused in the case have publicly claimed gang ties.
The newspaper asked for a copy of an arrest affidavit for Gustavo Antonio Marquez, 19, one of five defendants facing first-degree murder charges.
The judge initially denied the newspaper’s petition, citing an ongoing investigation, but took the issue back under consideration Monday after prosecutors disclosed that the investigation has largely concluded.
The judge ordered the document’s release over the objections of attorneys for the five accused, who cited their own investigations.
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