"Hickenlooper: Tom Clements Slaying Like A 'Nightmare I Couldn't Wake Up From'," is by Matt Ferner at Huffington Post.
Over the weekend, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper dropped by CNN's "State of the Union" and spoke to Candy Crowley about the slaying of Colorado Department of Corrections head Tom Clements at his home last week as well as his longtime friendship to the Ebel family, whose son, Evan Ebel, is the main suspect in the killing and who was also killed after a shootout and high-speed chase in Texas.
"The whole week, I sort of felt like I was in a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from," Hickenlooper said about the killing of Clements last week and as the dots began to connect between all the various parties involved.
Hickenlooper's friend and colleague Tom Clements was gunned down at his home in Monument, Colo. last Tuesday night when he answered a knock at his door. Then as the investigation unfolded, the police named a suspect in the Clements killing -- Evan Ebel, a 28-year-old white supremacist and ex-convict, who is also the son of longtime friend to Hickenloooper, Jack Ebel.
"All these things kept happening to people that I loved and they didn't seem to be connected in anyway," Hickenlooper said to Crowley. "To me the emotional toll has been much deeper than worrying about security."
Hickenlooper also spoke about his friendship with Jack Ebel and their son Evan who, Hickenlooper says, had a "bad streak, a streak of cruelty and anger."
"I've known Evan's father for more than 30 years," Hickenlooper said. "When I first came out as a geologist to work in Colorado in 1981, he and I worked at the same company, we've always stayed friends. He's one of the hardest working, most honorable, honest people I've ever known. Just a wonderful person who from the beginning his son just seemed to have this bad streak, a streak of cruelty and anger. And yet they did everything they could, they worked with Evan again and again but to no avail. He had a bad, bad streak."
Today's Denver Post reports, "Tom Clements' widow: Family will pray for forgiveness for gunman." It's by Jordan Steffen, Kurtis Lee and Ryan Parker.
Lisa Clements' voice warbled with grief. Before her on Monday sat more than 1,000 people, most in uniform, for the memorial service for her husband, slain Colorado Department of Corrections executive director Tom Clements. Beside her stood the couple's two daughters, wiping tears from their cheeks. As she paused to gather her strength, the only sound was the soft whoosh of the New Life Church's heating system.
"It's a challenge to wrap up all (that) the girls and I want to say about Tom," Lisa Clements said. "The love of my life. My hero. The best father and husband you could ever see.
"But in the end, we want everyone who hears Tom's story to know he lived his life believing in redemption and the ability of the human heart to change. He would want justice, certainly. But moreover, he would want forgiveness."
Even in death — even after last week's death at the hands, police suspect, of an inmate released on parole — mourners at Clements' service Monday wanted to ensure that Tom's message was of championing second chances.
"Weapon used in Texas gunfight also killed Tom Clements," is the KDVR-TV report by Matt Farley and Mark Meredith.
The 9mm handgun Evan Ebel used to shoot a Texas police officer last week is the same weapon that killed Colorado Department of Corrections chief Tom Clements, ballistic analysts concluded Monday afternoon.The confirmation goes well beyond proving the same caliber and brand of ammunition used and all but guarantees the accuracy of the finding based on microscopic evidence, the Colorado Springs Metro Crime Lab said.
Ebel, who was killed after a wild chase and shootout with police in Decatur, Texas, last week, has not officially been named as a suspect. He was named a person of interest in the murders of both Clements and pizza delivery driver Nathan Leon after ammunition, a Domino’s pizza jacket and a pizza box were found in the 1991 black Cadillac he was driving.
Earlier coverage from Colorado begins at the link; also available, earlier coverage of Tom Clements.
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