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Writers

Robert Sanchez

The Enduring Legacy of Elijah McClain’s Tragic Death

The death of Elijah McClain prompted a flood of more than 8,500 letters from outside the state of Colorado—all begging Governor Jared Polis for justice. The author opens every one.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Sep 2021 20min Permalink

What It’s Like to Experience Homelessness During a Global Pandemic

Life, loss, fear, and hope in one Denver homeless encampment as the novel coronavirus upended services for some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Oct 2020 25min Permalink

Crime History

The Long-Forgotten Vigilante Murders of the San Luis Valley

How history forgot Felipe and Vivián Espinosa, two of the American West’s most brutal killers—and the complicated story behind their murderous rampage.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Dec 2019 20min Permalink

The Balloon Boy Hoax—Solved!

The country was captivated by the Balloon Boy. But what really happened?

Robert Sanchez 5280 Oct 2019 25min Permalink

Crime

Small-Town Injustice

The shooting of a civilian exposes the underbelly of a small town police department.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Oct 2018 Permalink

Crime Science

Lost and Found

An elite group of forensic scientists, charged with finding hidden human remains, nears retirement age.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Oct 2017 Permalink

Crime World

Awake in the Night

Mary Kuanen escaped the violence of Sudan only to live through her husband’s murder in suburban Denver. This is her life today.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Dec 2016 Permalink

Media

How Massive Cuts Have Remade The Denver Post

The demise of a once-great newspaper.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Sep 2016 25min Permalink

How One Colorado Man Disappeared While Hunting for Hidden Treasure

Thousands of people have waded into New Mexico’s high desert searching for a small chest filled with millions in gold, jewels, and jade. Randy Bilyeu never made it back.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Jul 2016 30min Permalink

Science

How the Gold King Mine Spill Threatens the Navajo Nation

Last August, contaminated water escaped from an abandoned mine in Colorado and traveled down the Animas River to Shiprock, the second-largest city in the Navajo Nation. Two weeks later, the EPA declared the sludge-filled river safe.

Robert Sanchez 5820 Feb 2016 20min Permalink

Crime

The Rise and Fall and Rise and Fall of Terrance Roberts

A respected anti-gang crusader shoots and paralyzes another man.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Jan 2014 10min Permalink

Will.

Will LaFever never felt right in the world. So he took to the Utah desert, barely making it out alive.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Apr 2013 25min Permalink

Rewrite

A man tries to rebuild his life after killing four people in a car crash.

Robert Sanchez 5280 May 2011 25min Permalink

Science

The Fire Next Door

A chronicle of the 2010 wildfire that burned down 169 homes in Colorado, told via the people who lived through it.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Sep 2011 30min Permalink

Crime

Anatomy of a Murder

In 1960, beer heir Adolph Coors III was kidnapped and murdered. A look back at the crime and the man who committed it.

Robert Sanchez 5280 Feb 2009 25min Permalink