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8- San Miguel Basin Forum, Thursday, August 26, 1999
II
m •
Lieutenant Greg Hiler of
the Montrose County Sheriff's
office said tliat the missing per-
son's case on Dale Williams of
Nucla intensified here begin-
ning last week due to "follow-
ing up some new leads and
information in the area".
Hiler said that the Sher-
iff's office is utilizing Colorado
Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
out of Montros¢ as well as local
sheriff's posse members.
CBI agent Dennis
Mooney said that he and one
other agent were assisting the
Montrose County Sheriff's
office in any way needed at any
time.
The Cashin' Copper Mine
area was a site where the sher-
iff's office attempted to corrob-
orate information with evi-
dence. "We had the site closed
off for a couple of days," said
Hiler. He said he could not elab-
orate on details, but said that
they had done all they could at
that center of investigation and
moved on. "We will be visibly
in and out of the area for the
next two or three weeks follow-
ing up on all leads," he said.
When asked about Dale
Williams, he said he is still
missing.
Several people in the area,
including Jack Smith of
Naturita, are attempting to set
up a reward fund for anyone
with information about Dale
Williams or why he is missing.
..'.pledge forms
be printed and avail-
able at area mer-
chants for those who
would pledge money
for a reward for
information...
I
According to Smith, an
account has been set up at the
Citizens State Bank in Naturita.
He said that pledge forms will
be printed and available at area
merchants for those who would
pledge money for a reward for
information leading to the arrest
and conviction of the person or
persons responsible for the dis-
appearance of Dale Williams.
The pledge sheets will be
given to the bank and held.
Upon success of any informa-
tion given, the pledges will be
collected and given to the pert
son who gave the information.
Citizens State Bank
Branch Manager, Terri Tooker,
said that the account is the
Williams Rescue Fund and any
checks written to reward a per-
son with information should be
made payable to that account.
She said that she assumed the
names on the account, Dianna
Williams and Tammy Lowrance
would collect the pledges when
and if the reward was paid.
Jack Smith said that the
reward amount would be made
known as the money is donated
and the pledges made.
"We can't help but hope
locals have-information that
would help solve the case," said
Lieutenant Hiler.."We are cer-
tainly in support of a reward
being offered for information."
Information about Dale
Williams should be called into
the Montrose County Sheriff's
• office at 249-6606.
Jack Smith said he plans
to distribute "the pledge sheets
this week at area businesses. He
wasn't sure about keeping the
person with information anony-
mous or how to do so. That is a
topic thatseveral are discussing
and will decide on whether or
not to do it, and, if so, how to
do it, at a later date. "It may
become very important to keep
the person with information
anonymous," said Smith. "If
someone feels they may be in
grave danger, they probably
won't come forth, even if there
is a reward."
Diana Curtis of Montrose
who is a police officer involved
with crime Stoppers said they
can keep a person anonymous
by assigning a number and
either dropping the money offto
be picked up or having a board
member meet with and give the
money to the person who 1] .
given the information that I
to solving a crime. Law enforce-
ment is not involved which
guarantees anonymity.
"Crime Stoppers has a
policy now of only going up to
$1,000 in reward and Montrose
Crime Stoppers has already
offered the reward in the Dale
Williams case," she said.
Williams has been miss-
ing since May 24, 1999. His
White Ford F-250 truck was
found July 4, over a month after
his disappearance, in the San
Miguel, Dolores river's conflu-
ence just below Uravan. His
tool box was missing from the
vehicle.
What's
Dear Editor;
Sometimes it is hard to
figure out what is going on
with law enforcement and the
courts. On June 6, I saw a
friend of mine on main street,
and we then parked our trucks
in front of the Yellow Rock
Cafe to visit. Shortly thereafter
Vlontrose County Deputy
Bremer pulled up behind my
truck, and walked over to us.
He then said, "Mr. Richardson
can I talk to you in private."
Complying with his
request, my friend drove off.
The officer tl na proceeded to
tell me that twoindividuals
(Ann Pinder and Vern Kessler)
had signed a complaint against
me regarding my driving on
Vera Ray Drive. I asked him if
I could see the complaint, so I
would know what allegations
were being made against me.
He said, "No it is against the
law to show you the com-
plaint." He then wrote out a
traffic ticket charging me with
careless driving, which would
be a $50 fine and four points
off my driver's license. The
hearing for the ticket was set
for July 29, at 7 P.M. in the
Naturita Municipal Court.
So, I was ready to go to
court, and meet Naturita's
Judge. However, on July 21, I
received notice from Montrose
Eounty Court that my appear-
Going On With Law Enforcement, Courts?
ance-date of July 29 had been
vacated, and I was to appear on
August 3 in the Nuela County
Court.
So, ! showed up, and f
was asked by Judge Davidson's
replacement how I pied to the
charge of careless driving. I told
him, "Not guilty your honor."
He then asked me if I
wanted a jury trial? I asked him
if there wasn't some other way
to resolve this matter? He said
the best he could do was to fine
me $35 and take 3 points offmy
license if I pied guilty to driving
carelessly on a county road. I
explained to him that this
alleged incident did not happen
on a egunty road. It supposedly
took place in the town of
Naturita. Further, the ticket I
was issued stated that I was to
appear in the Naturita
Municipal Court.
He then left the room, and
stated he would check and see
what was gomg on.
He came back shortly, and
said the problem is that officer
Bremer filed the ticket with the
wrong court. This seemed odd,
because he wrote on my ticket
that I was to appear in the
Naturita court.
At any rate, the judge said
that he would have to dismiss
this case, however, there was a
very slim chance that the
Naturita judge could re-instate
the case in municipal court. He
said the odds were about 98 per-
cent that he would not do so.
Nothing else transpired
until last evening. I was return-
ing from Nucla when a county
deputy vehicle followed me
until I reached the top of
Naturita Hill.
His lights then came on. I
pulled over to the shoulder of
the road, and officer Kettle
walked toward me, and stated,
"Mr. Richardson, I am going to
have to re-issuethis ticket to
yOU."
I explained to him that I
had already been to county
court over this ticket, pied not
guilty, and the judge dismissed
the case.
He then said "There is
nothing I can do about it. I've
been told to do this."
I then asked if I could see
the complaint made against me
by Ann Pinder and Vern Kessler.
He said "that is discovery, and
you can see it when you go to
court. This didn't make a whole
lot of sense, because I've
already been to court, and pied
not guilty to the charges.
Officer Kettle proceeded
tO ask me to sign the ticket, but
I refused to do so on the basis
that I still have the original tick-
et.
I don't mind paying a
ticket for a legitimate com-
plaint. This is not a legitimate
traffic complaint. The main rea-
son I'm writing this letter is
because it seems that more and
more of our constitutional
rights and protections are being
taken from us. No one should
be issued two separate tickets
by different law enforcement
officers for the same alleged
complaint. No one should be
hauled into a lower court when
their case has been dismissed
in a higher court. No one in this
country should be denied the
right to discovery or to see a
complaint that has been filed
against them. Without this
information, they cannot fairly
defend themselves in a court of
law.
I am writing a letter to
the Naturita municipal judge
informing him that I do not
acknowledge this second tick-
et. It was written by an officer
who has no first hand knowl-
edge of this alleged incident in
any way, shape, or form.
If officer Bremer does
not understand that city tickets
should be filed in city court,
why should any defendant
have to go back into court
because he lacks this knowl-
edge.
If this sort of thing can
happen to me, it can happen to
anyone.
Sincerely,
Dick Richardson
Naturita, CO
Nucla Freshman
Parents
Information
Meeting Held
It's not too early for your
freshman student to get a
start on college planning.
On Wednesday, Septem-
ber 1, at 7 PM, in the Nucla
High School Library, there
will be a meeting for the
parents of Freshman stu-
dents on college admission
course requirements, prepar-
ing for admissions tests, as
well as sources of financial
aid for post secondary
schooling.
Call 864-7396, NHS
Counselor's Office, for
more information.
There will also be an
information night for the
parents of Senior students,
that will be held September
8 at the Nucla High School
L!brary.
Driver's License
Examiner Schedule
The driver's license
examiner will be in Nucla the
first thursday Of the Month,
September 2nd from 9:30 a.m to
12:00 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to
3:30 p.m.. He will not be in on
the 3rd Thursday as usual in
September.
He will again be in Nucla
the 1 st and 3rd Thursdays after
September.