LONGMONT, Colo. — Police in Longmont are looking for help solving a bizarre string of crimes. In the past week, someone has cut down at least six perfectly healthy trees in nearby neighborhoods.
One of those trees was part of a larger memorial dedicated to a murdered husband and wife, who left behind a young daughter.
“It’s shocking. It’s sad,” said Kelly Graham, who learned that someone cut down a young weeping willow in her neighborhood park last Thursday. “I just hope whoever did it didn’t know the meaning behind this specific tree.”
Graham raised the money to plant the tree and build a nearby bench to help a teenage girl who lost both of her parents in a horrible murder. Sean Griffin and his wife Staci were shot and killed by a suicidal employee inside their store, Boulder Stove and Flooring, in 2010.
“Many of the (bench) tiles are from her parents’ stove and tile store,” Graham said.
Longmont police say the damage hasn’t stopped with the memorial tree.
“It’s sad. It really is sad,” said Steve Wells, who found out that somebody walked into his yard overnight Saturday and cut down one of his trees.
“It’s a total violation,” Wells said. “It makes you put your guard up.”
This week Wells also learned that the vandal(s) appeared to target the Pratt Parkway Christian Church down the street two separate times.
“When they’re killing things, that’s really the sad part of it,” Wells said. “There’s just that lack of respect, I think, for life.”
On Monday, Longmont police discovered more trees cut down along a bike path on Lefthand Greenway, but they still don’t have any suspects or leads.
“I would tell the person that did this, please, get to know us,” Graham said. “You know, stop and get to know our community.”
If they did get to know the community, Graham says they’d learn that neighbors have already collected enough money to replace Avery’s tree.
“The new tree will be planted on Monday,” Graham said. “I hope that’s the message that’s left, is just that good will overcome.”
If you have any information on the trees, please call the Longmont Police Department.