Longmont boy held in slayings
Jason
By Jason Blevins
Denver Post Staff Writer
http://www.denverpost.com/news/news1212d.htm
TEEN KILLERS IN COLORADO
Other cases involving Colorado teenagers accused or convicted of killing
relatives:
Phillip Michael Martinez, 15, faces charges of second-degree murder and
possession of a handgun after being arrested in the Oct. 9 shooting of
his uncle in the family's Colorado Springs home.
Staci Lynn Davis, 13, pleaded guilty in October to shooting her mother
to death at the Arapahoe Park Racetrack in July. She is serving seven
years in the state youth corrections system.
Jason Spivey, 17, faces life in prison if convicted of sexually
assaulting and killing his grandmother in her Denver home in February.
He allegedly confessed to strangling his grandmother and stabbing her
dog. He's due in court in January.
Nathan Ybanez, 17 at the time, is serving a life sentance for beating
his mother to death with a fireplace tool in her Lone Tree apartment in
June 1998.
Leon Gladwell, then 17, is serving a 40year prison sentence for beating
his grandmother to death with a tire iron in Boulder in January 1998.
Jenna Smythe, then 19, is serving 30 years in prison for conspiring with
two adults to stab her mother and a 15-year-old runaway to death in
Smythe's Arapahoe County apartment in 1994.
Jacob P. Ind, then 15, killed his mother and stepfather in their
Woodland Park home in 1992. He is serving a life sentence without
possibility of parole.
Herman Douglas French Jr., then 14, choked, beat, shot and stabbed his
mother to death in her Broomfield apartment in 1986.
Larry Long Jr., then 18, stabbed his parents and a 17-year-old brother
to death in Longmont in 1986.
Michael Shane Wilkerson, then 14, beat, stabbed and drowned his mother
in their Aurora home in 1983.
William James Bresnahan Jr., then 16, stabbed and beat his parents to
death during a summer camping trip in Summit County in 1964. He admitted
the killings and was paroled after serving his prison term. He went on
to become a doctor in California and recently tried to win privileges to
practice medicine in Denver but was unable to do so.
Dec. 12 - LONGMONT - A 14-year-old boy described by neighbors Saturday
as shy, wellmannered and a "genius pianist'' is suspected of killing his
mother and grandmother at the family's home in an upscale subdivision.
Longmont police said they received a 911 call about 9 a.m. Saturday from
the home at 2141 Indian Peaks Circle. The caller, a man, said he was
detaining a male who had attacked him and the two women.
Neighbors identified the man as the boy's father, Thomas M. Engel, 47.
The home is in the new Creekside subdivision of $300,000 to $500,000
houses.
Engel's Catholic priest said Engel came home and found the women's
bodies before being assaulted himself.
The women were identified by the priest and neighbors as Mary Beth
Engel, 56, and her mother, name and age unreported, who came to live
with the family within the last year.
They reportedly had been stabbed to death.
Thomas Engel was treated at Longmont United Hospital for a head injury
and released.
Police took the boy, John Engel, into custody. In a statement, officials
said, "No other suspects who could pose a threat to the community
exist.''
John Engel and his older sister, who was not home at the time, are from
the Philippines and were adopted by the couple when they were young.
The family lived in the neighborhood for about two years. They moved
from Colorado Springs.
Mary Beth Engel was active at church and gave piano lessons to several
of her neighbors in her home.
Neighbors said John was born with a facial deformity which was corrected
through surgeries. He attended Longmont Charter School and played violin
with the Longmont Youth Symphony. He is also a talented pianist, they
said.
" (Thomas Engel) and his wife did everything possible to provide a home,
love and anything those kids could hope for,'' said the Rev. Don
Willette of the Spirit of Peace Catholic Church.
Priest blesses neighborhood
Willette said the family attended mass each Sunday. He met briefly with
Thomas Engel on Saturday before the priest and other members of the
parish visited the neighborhood where a "blessing'' took place.
"His only question is just: "Why?' '' Willette said. "It seems like when
you least expect violence to pop up in your life, innocent people get
hurt.
"When you least expect to be a victim yourself, here it is right in your
face,'' he said.
Lisa Campbell, who lived next door to the Engels until recently, said
John is a talented musician and "genius pianist.'' Mary Beth Engel
taught Campbell's daughters piano and flute.
"He was always a really sweet boy,'' Campbell said.
"We always enjoyed having him over,'' she said. "He was always so polite
and well-mannered. It's kind of mind-boggling. We're just sitting here
in tears.''
Campbell said the 14-year-old boy never showed any signs of anger or of
being overly aggressive, even when playing basketball or baseball with
other children.
Several neighbors said the family never had trouble with John but had
conflicts with the older sister, Grace, who reportedly was sent to a
private school in Nevada.
Campbell's daughter, Heather, 14, cried as she said that John acted like
a normal teenager who often rode his bike and was a good musician.
"He was really talented. There was nothing wrong with him. He was
fine,'' she said.
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