Columbine Crime Scene Evidence Released

D E N V E R, June 19, 2001 -- Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold lie next to eachother in the Columbine High School library — Harris' shotgun sitsbeneath his boot and Klebold is found clutching a TEC-9 pistol.

Gruesome details of how the killers' bodies were found on April20, 1999, are contained in 737 pages of crime scene notes andsketches released today by Jefferson County officials.

The documents, known as "lab books," include notes taken bythe first officers and investigators to arrive at Columbine the daythat Harris and Klebold killed 12 students and a teacher beforecommitting suicide.

Sketches describe the precise locations of the 10 students slainin the library. The nature of their wounds are also detailed in thelab books, which were used to create final diagrams of the crimescene at the Littleton, Colo., school.

Families of victims hope the material helps answer questionsabout how the shooting unfolded.

'Be Careful What You Ask For'

"It's a double-edged sword," said Connie Michalik, whose son,Richard Castaldo, was wounded in the attack. "On one side, it'svery painful and on the other, it helps our lawsuit. It'sdifficult."

Michalik and several other Columbine families are suing theJefferson County Sheriff's Office, claiming they mishandled theresponse to the assault and ignored threats made by Harris,one of the gunmen.

In April, Judge Brooke Jackson ordered the release of the labbooks after CBS Broadcasting Inc. and several victims' familiessought them. Jackson noted in his decision that "some of thecontents might fall within the 'be careful what you ask for'category."

Jefferson County spokesman John Masson said today, "Undernormal circumstances, the crime scene materials are not released. Weare not releasing this voluntarily."

Some relatives of those killed and wounded in the assaultbelieve the sheriff's department hasn't been completelyforthcoming.

"It's very disturbing, but because we haven't been told thetruth about anything it's going to be necessary to look at these,"said Brian Rohrbough, whose son, Daniel, was killed outside theschool.

Rohrbough alleges in a lawsuit that police, not the gunmen,killed his son during an exchange of gunfire with the attackers,Harris and Klebold.

Attorney James Rouse, who represents several Columbine families,said he expects yet more documents to surface after the release ofthe lab books.

"I don't have any reason to believe this is the last bit ofevidence or documentation they have," he said.