Thursday, July 24, 2008

Missing 'spam king' kills self, family - The Denver Post

Missing 'spam king' kills self, family - The Denver Post

BENNETT — Neighbors say the dead man, woman and toddler found near Bennett are the missing "spam king" and his family.

The shootings took place in the 42000 block of East Arkansas Place about 11:15 a.m. today, and the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said a man, woman and 3-year-old girl were dead.

A neighbor who did not want to be named said the man who was suspected of killing himself and the others was Eddie Davidson, who walked away from a minium-security prison camp in Florence earlier this week. He said Davidson and his family used to live in the house where they died.

The neighbor said the Davidson family — known in Bennett as the Hills — "pretty much stayed to themselves."

The neighbor knew Davidson worked in computers but not exactly what he did until he was sent to prison in April for 21 months after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and falsifying information in e-mail pitches for low-cost, high risk penny stocks.

Davidson's Bennett-based business, Power Promoters, sent hundreds of thousands of unsolicited sales pitches to e-mail addresses around the world, selling a variety of products.

Court filings showed that Davidson's spam operation grossed about $3.5 million between 2003 and 2006.

The Sheriff's Office would not confirm the identities of the victims, saying the coroner had not yet notified family members.

Arapahoe County Undersheriff Mark Campbell said this afternoon that the bodies of a man and a woman were found in a driveway at the home outside a silver SUV. The man's body was beside the driver's door, and the woman's near the passenger side.

A boy, about 7 months old, was found unharmed in a car seat in the SUV, Campbell said.

The 3-year-old girl was found dead in the vehicle.

Federal officials confirmed that FBI agents and U.S. Marshals are assisting Arapahoe County officials on the scene.

A teenage girl, who was shot in the neck, fled to a neighbor's home, the Sheriff's Office said.

A handgun was found at the scene, Campbell said.

The teenager was taken to University Hospital for treatment, and the infant to Children's Hospital, according to the Bennett Fire Protection District.

Bob Cambron lives about a half-mile away.

He said he was working in the yard when he heard gunshots, carried on the wind.

"Immediately after the shots, there was intense screaming," Cambron said.

He drove to the house right away.

"I didn't have any idea what I was driving into," he said. "I just saw the vehicle in the driveway with bodies."

He said he was reluctant to get close "because I didn't want to be the next victim."

He said a neighbor who called 911 also helped the teenage gunshot victim.

According to neighbors, the home where the shooting occurred is about 8 years old and sits on a 35-acre parcel.

"It is a very nice home, two-story yellow, about 4,000 square feet," said neighbor Deborah Haines. The owners had horses and a barn.

Both Haines and another neighbor, Ted Schwarz, said that the current residents were new to the area, having moved in about six to 10 months ago.

Both said their new neighbor was congenial.

"He was a really nice fellow," said Schwarz. "He was out there helping dig out during the snows. The wind blows out here, and we get out the tractors to clear the roads of snow. He also helped mow the ditches."

Schwarz, who is retired, said that the area is normally very quiet.

The worst thing to happen out there, he said, was when somebody — probably kids — knocked down every one of the 53 mailboxes of the 53 homeowners living in the area.

"This is something really shocking," said Schwarz.

Haines said she never heard any shots and that her first indication of something being wrong was when she heard a lot of traffic on the road outside her house.


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