Episode 15: The Dutcher Family Murders

Guffey Colorado is an extremely small town in the southwest corner of Park County about 74 miles from Denver. In 2001, a gruesome discovery was made at the home of Carl and Joanna Dutcher after their children had not heard from them in a few days. Living in this very small town in Colorado, suspects were extremely limited. After the police uncovered another victim, more questions than answers arose. Who could have possibly commited this gruesome crime? For months police would ask themselves this question until a small detail from the victim's mother cast suspicion on another young man. When police spoke to him, what they learned was shocking and completely unexpected.

 

Sources:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/225893821/anthony-j-dutcher

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190716106/carl-dutcher

"Neighbors recall S. Park slaying victims" by Erin Emery and Marilyn Robinson in the Colorado News January 6, 2001 (https://extras.denverpost.com/news/news0106a.htm)

https://www.uncovercolorado.com/towns/guffey/#:~:text=In%201907%20Colorado's%20largest%20recorded,by%20a%20couple%20of%20cowboys.

"Murder Comes to Town - Lord of the Rockies" Hulu Series, Season 2, Episode 9 in 2015

"Texas Seven Prison Break" by History.com Editors, November 13, 2009 (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/texas-seven-prison-break)

"The Murders of Tony, Carl & Joanna Dutcher" by Luminol Cases, July 15, 2022 (https://luminolpod.com/blog/f/the-murders-of-tony-carl-joanna-dutcher)

"Bizarre Triple Homicide May Have Been Cult Killing" by Jim Avila and Thomas Berman in ABC News August 18, 2009 (https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=8356244)

"Last of Three Suspects to be Sentences on Triple Slaying" by The Associated Press in The Daily Sentinel December 1, 2003

"Teen Gets 60 Years for Slayings" by The Associated Press in the Coloradoan March 13, 2002

"Police Seek Motive in Slayings of Three" by The Associated Press in The Daily Sentinel March 11, 2001

"Two Teens Accused in Triple Murder" by The Associated Press in the Daily Sentinel March 10, 2001

"Teen told of Charges in Slay Case" by The Associated Press in The Daily Sentinel May 18, 2001

"Two More Teens Arrested in New Year's Slayings" by The Associated Press in The Daily Sentinel April 27, 2001

"Mountain Town Mourns a Year after Slayings" by The Associated Press in The Coloradoan January 3, 2002

"Teen Sentenced for Part in Playings" in The Coloradoan February 13, 2002

"Guilty Plea Accepted in Triple Slaying" by The Associated Press in the Daily Sentinel February 27, 2003

"Lonely Sophomore Kills Best Friend, Blames Crime on Cult" by ABC News in ABC News August 17, 2009 (https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=8347009)

"Mother Filed Lawsuit in Son's Death" by The Associated Press in the Fort Collins Coloradoan November 4, 2002

"Killer Tells Victims' Famiily to Save Their Souls by Dropping Lawsuit" by The Associated Press in The Coloradoan May 8, 2005

"Mother of Boy Murdered in Triple Slaying Forgives Killer" by The Associated Press in the Summit Daily February 6, 2006

"Woman to Stand Trial for Role in Accident" by The Associated Press in the Daily Sentinel September 23, 2001

"El Paso County Jury Find Mother of Slain Teenager Guilty in Road Death" by the Associated Press in the Fort Collins Coloradoan November 28, 2002

"Kids with killer instincts" by Diane Hartman in The Denver Post May 7, 2016 (https://www.denverpost.com/2008/01/17/kids-with-killer-instincts/)