Denver Stabbings Claim Second Victim, Suspect in Custody
Denver, CO – The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner has identified Nicholas Burkett, 34, as the second victim killed during a spate of stabbings that rocked the city’s 16th Street Mall. The fatal incident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 12, near the intersection of 16th and Wynkoop Street, just a block away from Union Station.
Burkett’s death follows the earlier murder of Celinda Levno, 71, who was fatally attacked in a separate incident on Saturday. Levno, a flight attendant from Phoenix on a layover, was stabbed around 5:17 p.m. at 16th and California streets. She succumbed to her injuries early Sunday morning at Denver Health Medical Center.
The alleged assailant, identified as 24-year-old Elijah Caudill, was apprehended by Denver police shortly after Burkett’s attack. Officers reported seeing a male matching his description with a large knife in hand. After a brief pursuit, Caudill dropped the weapon and was taken into custody. He is currently being held without bond at the Denver County Jail, with murder charges expected to be filed this week.
In addition to Burkett and Levno, two other individuals sustained injuries during the violent spree that unfolded over approximately 26 hours. Police suggest that the attacks appear to be random, with no known connections between the suspect and the victims. Investigators are still working to determine the motive behind these tragic events.
As the situation develops, city officials and community members are left grappling with the implications of this violence in a busy urban area.