DENVER — Evan Ebel, the main suspect in the murders of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements and pizza delivery driver Nathan Leon, signed his name with a swastika in a letter he wrote in prison that was confiscated because it threatened guards, FOX31 Denver learned Wednesday.
The letter was written to Shawna, a female pen pal, in November 2006 and fantasized about subjecting prison guards to “vicious torture and eventual murder.”
Ebel claimed the guards “talk all slick to you over the intercom and then when you say something back to them, they play all types of little kid games” such as turning the shower off.
LINK: Read the letter [warning foul language]
“I just fantasize about catching them out on the bricks and subjecting them to vicious torture and eventual murder,” Ebel wrote. “That seems to get me through the days w/ a good degree of my sanity remaining intact.”
The letter was written in all caps and was revised with several words scratched out.
Ebel signs off the letter calling himself “evil Evan Ebel himself” and “P.S. Bring on the [explicative] letters” with an exclamation point with a swastika in place of a period.
The letter was confiscated and part of the evidence used to convict Ebel of assault on a guard in November 2006.
Ebel was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2005 for armed robbery. In 2008, he was sentenced to another four years — to be served consecutively — for punching a prison guard.
A clerical error listed Ebel’s four-year sentence as concurrent, meaning he would not have to serve additional time beyond his original sentence.
Authorities have speculated Ebel might have killed Leon for his uniform so he could use it as a disguise in the killing of Clements, who was gunned down after he opened his front door.
Investigators have said they are looking into whether Ebel, a member of a white supremacist prison gang, might have conspired with other inmates to kill Clements. The corrections chief earned widespread recognition not only for prison reforms but also for a crackdown on prison gangs, including the white supremacist 211 Crew, who once counted Ebel among their ranks.
Ebel was released from prison on January 28, according to the records.
Between his release and March 13, Ebel appeared to comply with his parole, which required he wear an ankle monitor, check in daily with parole officials by phone, abide by an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and stay out of bars, the records show.
The first indication something was wrong came March 14, when the ankle monitor gave off a “tamper alert.”
Here is a timeline of how Ebel managed to elude authorities, according to the corrections department documents and previous statements by authorities:
March 14
Ebel made his daily telephone call to check in with parole officials at 7:20 a.m.
The “tamper alert” went off at 1:54 p.m., and the company that oversees the monitoring system — known as HomeGuard 206 — notes the alert at 3:21 p.m. Initially, the ankle monitor was listed “for repair” and a message was left for Ebel to make arrangements to fix the ankle monitor.
By 11:15 p.m., Ebel had not checked in for messages.
March 15
Ebel failed to check in with parole officials, and a message was left for him to report to an appointment scheduled for the next day to repair his ankle monitor.
Ebel again failed to pick up messages. His whereabouts, at this point, were unknown.
March 16
The “tamper alert” for Ebel’s ankle monitor was still active, and he failed to show up for an appointment to repair the monitor.
March 17
Contractors who oversaw the ankle monitoring of inmates notified parole officials that Ebel failed to “make contact” to have his ankle monitor repaired.
Authorities believe this was the same day that Ebel killed Leon, the pizza delivery man, whose body was found in the suburban Denver community of Golden.
March 18
Parole officials contacted Ebel’s family to inquire about his whereabouts.
March 19
Parole officials searched Ebel’s residence and determined he left quickly or went into hiding to avoid arrest. They begin paperwork to revoke his parole.
That night, Clements was shot to death at his home outside Colorado Springs.
March 20
The state Department of Corrections issued a warrant for Ebel’s arrest, citing parole violations.
March 21
Ebel was killed in northern Texas in a gun battle with authorities that left a sheriff’s deputy wounded.