Boulder's 2nd Mystery Death
MBlizard
Lorraine Lawrence, aka Lorraine Florence Lopez-Lawrence, was
found dead on 04 Dec 1996 in a covered, 6-foot-deep construction
hole in Boulder, Colorado. Her death was originally investigated
as a homicide. Although her death was ruled an accident by the
coroner, police await toxicology reports from CBI and have not
closed their investigation.
Additional details are solicited; and, significant revisions to
this summary will be posted.
Marvin Blizard
Springfield VA
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Mysterious Death of Lorraine Florence Lopez-Lawrence (LLL)
The Boulder County Coroner's Office identified a woman found dead
on Wednesday, 04 Dec 1996 in a 6-foot-deep (1) construction hole
near the North Boulder Recreation Center as Lorraine Lopez-
Lawrence (LLL). (2) She was 37 years old and has also been
identified as Lorraine Florence Lawrence. (6,7)
LLL was a resident of the Boulder Housing Authority apartment
complex located south of the North Boulder Recreation Center at
3100 Broadway. (1) LLL was 37 years old and epileptic. (6) She
was employed as a bagger (6) at the Safeway grocery store located
near the intersection of Broadway and Arapahoe. (8) LLL was
reported to be an alcoholic (6), however, no significant trace of
alcohol was found in her body. (3,4) Coworkers at the Safeway
have described LLL as recently being fearful. (8)
In October 1996, LLL was brought to hospital emergency room by
a stranger who had found her outside her apartment half naked,
incoherent and covered with blood. (7)
On 03 Dec 96, neighbors reported seeing LLL being chased by a
man. One neighbor reported seeing LLL "sitting on the ice in her
underwear with a black eye and blood coming from her eye." (9)
LLL was last seen alive at about 1 a.m. Wed, Dec 4, 1996 (3) and
was found dead at 7:54 a.m. on Wed, Dec 4, 1996. (4)
The parking lot in front of the recreation center entrance was
cordoned off and the police appeared to be interested in tire
marks in the snow near the construction hole. (1)
The construction hole was located near 3170 North Broadway (3)
and was between the North Boulder Recreation Center and the
Boulder Housing Authority apartments (4) where LLL lived. (1)
The hole was being dug to connect a water line to a sprinkler
system in the nearly apartment complex. (2)
Police spokesman Kelvin McNeill said the construction hole was
properly covered when the workers left Tuesday night, making
accidental access difficult. (1)
The hole had been secured with a plywood cover Tuesday afternoon,
according to Boulder police. (2)
The construction hole was completely covered when workers left
the site on Dec 3rd. (5)
At about 8 a.m. on Dec 4, 1996, construction workers found
plywood over the construction hole containing LLL's body. (2)
There has reportedly been no explanation of how LLL could have
replaced the plywood and two heavy buckets over the construction
hole in which her body was later found. (6)
Police Commander John Eller stated that the plywood had been
displaced when LLL's body was found by a construction crew. (5)
The coroner denied reports that the construction hole had been
recovered with the plywood that had covered the hole on the day
before. (7)
The coroner stated that LLL's body was found leaning against a
broken board in the hole. (7)
Chief medical investigator Tom Faure described the broken board
as half-inch-thick particle board, not plywood - something
"relatively lightweight" and something that someone could have
easily fallen through if it were stepped on. (7)
LLL was reportedly wearing clothes when she was found. (1)
The coroner stated that when LLL was found her body was partially
clothed with bruises on her head and side. (7)
When found in the construction hole, LLL's body was reportedly:
* face-down (6)
* nearly naked with face bloodied and beaten (6)
The neighbor who reportedly identified LLL's body reportedly
stated:
* LLL was beaten so badly, she didn't recognize LLL's face (6)
* LLL's teeth were broken (6)
* LLL's eyes were bloodied and blackened (6)
* a trail of blood led from her apartment to LLL's body (6)
* police found a broken beer bottle near a pool of blood. (6)
`
The coroner stated that LLL's body was found leaning against a
broken board in the hole with her leg scraped and bruised. (7)
On Thursday [Jan 5, 1996], the results of LLL's autopsy were
reported as inconclusive by Chief Medical Investigator Tom Faure.
He also said,"The cause of death is pending further investigation
by the Boulder police and the Coroner's Office." (2)
The coroner has stated, "She had injuries on her that someone
looking at her would say she was beaten. We're looking at the
totality of the information that we have, and we don't think she
was beaten." (7)
The bruises and blood on her LLL were self-induced, according to
officials of the coroner's office. (7)
The autopsy report allegedly shows that the bruises and cuts on
her face did not cause her death. (7)
The coroner has stated, " ... If we had found in the autopsy
skull fractures or a ruptured spleen, that's a homicide - no
question about it." (7)
Police Commander John Eller stated there were no obvious signs of
foul play and no evidence of a criminal act. (4)
Detective Sgt. Larry Mason reportedly stated, "At this point in
our investigation the evidence shows that Ms. Lawrence was not
shot, stabbed, nor had she been sexually assaulted. She also did
not appear to have been involved in a traffic accident and she
did not have significant traces of alcohol in her system. We are
investigating the possibilities of how Ms. Lawrence ended up in
the hole." (3)
The autopsy found Dilantin, her prescribed seizure medication, in
her blood; however it was below the "therapeutic level." (7)
Cocaine was found in her system. (7)
In his autopsy report, the coroner, Dr John E Meyer, reportedly
stated that LLL had fallen into the construction hole and died of
exposure to the cold. (6)
The coroner determined that LLL died of exposure to cold after
wandering around in a disoriented condition following a seizure.
Temperatures hovered near freezing that night. (7)
The coroner has listed the cause of death as environmental
exposure due to complications of seizure disorder. (5)
Although a police spokesman originally described LLL's death as
"suspicious," the coroner has determined that LLL's death was an
accident. (5)
The coroner ruled that LLL's death was accidental. (6)
Dan Pruett, a medical investigator with the coroner's office,
stated that LLL probably had a seizure, became disoriented, fell
into the hole, and froze to death. He also LLL had suffered
seizures since childhood and was not taking her medication at the
time of the accident. (5)
Medical Examiner Pruett reportedly said there were "a lot of
strange circumstances in this case." he further stated that
"There was no evidence that anyone did anything to her." (5)
Although the coroner has determined that LLL's death was an
accident, Boulder police are still investigating. (5)
Police Chief Tom Koby reportedly concurred with the coroner's
ruling that LLL's death was an accident; however, police are
continued their investigation. (6)
Police are continuing their investigation and awaiting drug
toxicology results from the Boulder County Coroner. (4)
Police are waiting for evidence from CBI labs before they decide
whether to close the case. (7)
Neighbors and friends reportedly believe LLL was killed. (6)
Sources: (see Notes below)
(1) http://bcn.boulder.co.us/media/colodaily/zdec5/death5e.
html - Woman's body found in hole - by R E Baird, Staff
Writer, Colorado Daily - 05 Dec 1996 -
(2) http://bcn.boulder.co.us/media/colodaily/zdec6/death6e.
html - Deceased woman identified - by R E Baird, Staff
Writer, Colorado Daily - 06 Dec 1996 -
(3) http://bcn.boulder.co.us/boulder/pressrelease/1996/pr96
1209.html - City of Boulder Press Release - 09 Dec 1996 -
(4) http://bcn.boulder.co.us/media/colodaily/zdec10/body10e.
html - No foul play in woman's death? - by R E Baird,
Staff Writer, Colorado Daily - 10 Dec 1996 -
(5) http://bcn.boulder.co.us/media/colodaily/zdec20/death20e.
html - Woman's death ruled accidental - by Becky O'Guin,
Staff Writer, Colorado Daily - 20 Dec 1996 -
(6) http://www.bouldernews.com/BoulderNews/Ramsey/X_97011
00066.html - A tale of two victims: questions surround
handling of two deaths - by Elliot Zaret, Daily Camera
- 10 Jan 1997 -
(7) Case not solved in Lawrence case - police lean toward
exposure as cause - by Elliot Zaret - Daily Camera -
12 Feb 1997 -
(8) Confidential Boulder source -
(9) Woman's Death Mystifies Friend - by Melissa L Mentzer -
Open Forum - Daily Camera - 06 Jan 1997 -
Notes:
1. This summary updated 06 Mar 1997.
2. If sources, as listed above, are not on server, then go to
home page and search back issues.