Key Witnesses, Investigators, and Related Individuals Who Died After the Shooting
Robert Patterson, a 19-year-old man with a prior incarceration history, was found deceased by suicide at his home in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. His mother informed investigators that she believed he took his life due to fears of returning to jail. (10k, p.21470)
Antuane Johnson, a close friend of the Shoels family, was shot and killed in a parking lot weeks after the massacre. The case remains unsolved, and it is suggested that Johnson was assisting the Shoels family in their inquiries about the massacre and may have "known too much."
Vicki Buckley, Colorado's Secretary of State, collapsed and died at the age of 51. She had a close relationship with the Shoels family and was involved in their quest for the truth regarding the Columbine tragedy.
A Jefferson County sheriff shot and killed an unidentified man in Clement Park, adjacent to Columbine High School. The identity of the deceased was never released by officials.
Corey Hager, a key witness, died in a car accident at the age of 15. His sister reported to investigators that he was at home having lunch, despite eyewitness accounts placing him with deceased victim Steven Curnow in the cafeteria prior to the shooting. Hager was never interviewed regarding the incident.
Sean Brenner, a student from a nearby school, committed suicide. A week following the Columbine shooting, he allegedly confided in a friend about feeling guilty for not reporting a rumor he had heard regarding the attack. (10k, p.24945)
Dana Plato, an actress, reportedly died from a prescription drug overdose in Oklahoma, with some speculating that it was murder. Plato had been residing with Rachel Scott's family before her untimely death.
Corey Hager, who witnessed the events in the Columbine cafeteria, died in a car accident in his hometown of North Dakota. When investigators attempted to contact him, his sister informed them that he had recently passed away.
Carla June Hochhalter, mother of wounded student Ann Marie Hochhalter, allegedly entered an Englewood pawn shop with ammunition, requested to see a firearm, and subsequently shot herself in the head before discharging the weapon into a wall. Despite the presence of witnesses, no one reported seeing the incident. Documentation related to this occurrence has been unobtainable, and her "suicide note" has not been disclosed; she is also not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Around midnight, Nicholas Kunselman, 16, and Stephanie Hart, 17, students and sweethearts, were shot to death at a Subway sandwich shop located two blocks south of Columbine High School. Kunselman was working a closing shift, and Hart had come to give him a ride home.
An employee passing by around 1:30 a.m. discovered their bodies after noticing the lights on inside the shop. Initial reports indicated that the windows had been shot out; however, video evidence contradicted this, showing no bullet holes. The media characterized the incident as a robbery, yet no money was taken from the register, and the security cameras were conveniently off.
Deceased victim Rachel Scott previously worked at that Subway location, and a member of the Scott family (Beth Nimmo) shared a backyard with Hart and her mother, Kelly Grizzell. Hart had once baked a purple cake shaped like a bucket hat for Scott.
Courtney Scott, an 18-year-old cousin of Stephanie, reportedly discovered the bodies. She visited the makeshift memorial in the parking lot. It remains unclear whether Stephanie is related to Rachel Scott's family or simply shares the same last name.
Greg Barnes, a basketball star at Columbine, committed suicide in his home by hanging himself while playing "Adam's Song" on repeat. Barnes was one of the students who helped keep Dave Sanders alive during the incident. His struggles with depression were unknown to those around him.
According to the documentary Columbine - What Went Wrong, produced by Phyllis Schlafly, former Columbine student Ben Kuhn died by hanging. Kuhn was a sophomore in 2001 but is not listed in the Social Security Death Index, with records indicating he lived in Colorado and owned property as of 2024.
James Springer, Robert Zajac, and Erin Gollas were shot and killed in an AMF bowling alley in Littleton. Eyewitnesses reported seeing an individual wearing a black trench coat leave the area.
Key witness Theresa Miller (Theresa Laura) succumbed to cancer at the age of 44. Miller was present with Dave Sanders during the incident and extinguished a fire in the adjacent science office after a Molotov cocktail detonated.
Jonathan Ladd, a witness who reported a bomb threat called into the school that morning, died in a mid-air plane crash in Denver. SWAT teams immediately secured the crash site, restricting access to the wreckage.
Tiffany Lien, an outside witness and freshman, was shot to death along with her friend by her husband.
On the day of the attack, Lien was having lunch with a friend outside the school cafeteria on April 20, 1999, when they heard shots and witnessed two individuals being shot. They fled to a bathroom and heard a shooter yelling, "I hate you," before managing to escape to safety.
Tim Roche, a reporter for TIME Magazine, died from multiple strokes at the age of 38. Roche was the only journalist permitted to view the Basement Tapes.
Joe Stair, founder of the Trench Coat Mafia, hanged himself with an extension cord in his grandfather's garage. His funeral coincided with the dedication of a newly built memorial.
Charles Luke Milam, a member of the Columbine class of 1999, died in combat in Afghanistan. On the day of the shooting, Milam left the school to eat lunch at home around 11:00 a.m. and was denied re-entry around noon.
Sergeant Bill Black, commander of the Littleton SWAT team, died of cancer at the age of 58. He was on duty during the Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999. Black is not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Former Jefferson County Sheriff Russ Cook was found dead in his home from unknown causes at age 59. Media reports indicated he struggled with alcohol addiction, which may have contributed to his death. Cook was elected in November 2002 and resigned in July 2003, subsequently replaced by Ted Mink.
"I still don't know what the truth is with Columbine," stated Cook before his election in 2002.
Community sources suggested that Cook was writing a tell-all book about Columbine at the time of his death and expressed suspicions of foul play.
"He scared the bejeezus out of the powers that be in Jefferson County during his short time in office. For one thing, he spoke with reporters without prior clearance from his handlers, a significant departure from the previous administration's stonewalling. He was determined to uncover the truth about the Columbine incident... He felt pressure and betrayal from those he believed would support him in difficult times. He discussed running for county commissioner and was writing a book about Jefferson County politics.
He faced court appearances and adverse reactions to prescription medications. There was likely more happening than I was aware of. Friends reported similar experiences. Russ was becoming reclusive, they said..."
âAlan Prendergast
Former Jefferson County dispatcher Cindy Cline died from an unspecified short-term illness.
Cline was the shift supervisor at the Jefferson County Sheriffâs Office 911 call center during the Columbine shootings, assisting in managing hundreds of calls on April 20, 1999.
David Caravan, a former member of the Trench Coat Mafia, died from undisclosed causes, with some suggesting it was suicide.
Key witness Matt DePew was electrocuted while working on an electrical pole. He had been hiding in the cafeteria with other students and made statements that contradicted the official narrative. For instance, he claimed a suspect had said, âoneâs coming in!â DePew also mentioned in a radio interview that his father, Wayne DePew, one of the first officers on the scene, had pursued the shooters and âdid what he had to do,â suggesting his father may have killed them. DePew is not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Timothy Roche, a reporter for TIME Magazine, died after suffering multiple strokes at age 38. He was the only journalist allowed to view the âBasement Tapesâ and authored a significant article about them, which included numerous quotes. Following the publication, Jefferson County claimed Roche had agreed not to publish a story about the tapes, stating he was shown them solely for âbackground information.â Roche is not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Former Trench Coat Mafia associate David Caravan died at age 29 from unknown causes. He was described by Columbineâs financial secretary, Ramona Madden, as "strange and intimidating."
Key witness and library survivor Stephen Austin Eubanks died of a drug overdose in his home. Eubanks was a recovery advocate, using his life story to inspire others toward sobriety, although he struggled with addiction following the traumatic loss of his best friend, Cory DePooter, during the attack. Eubanks is not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Former Arapahoe County Sheriff Patrick Sullivan died at the age of 78. He served as Sheriff from 1984 to 2002 and was well-respected until his arrest for trading meth for sex in 2011. Sullivan was also tasked with investigating allegations that the Columbine shooters were assaulted during their January 1998 arrest. He is not listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Miceal McEwen, a former colleague of the shooters at Blackjack Pizza, committed suicide at age 23. He was reported to have had foreknowledge of the shooting, with a series of âtragic eventsâ eventually leading to his death.
Key witness Brandi Jo Malonson went missing after leaving her parentsâ house to meet with friends.
Malonson was a cafeteria witness who observed two suspects in trench coats entering the cafeteria and opening fire. She was friends with deceased victims Isaiah Shoels and Subway murder victims Nicholas Kunselman and Stephanie Hart-Grizzell.
"Brandi stated she saw a guy wearing a long black trench coat and a black ski mask inside the cafeteria. He was with another guy who was also wearing a long black trench coat. The first guy had a gun inside his coat." (11k, p.3635)
Investigators indicated that the suspects did not fire inside the cafeteria at that time, and only one shooter was still wearing a trench coat.
Malonson remains missing, and her sister, Monica (class of 1999), also died at a young age.
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