Denver Man Charged with First-Degree Murder Following 16th Street Mall Stabbings
Denver — The Denver District Attorney has filed first-degree murder charges against 24-year-old Elijah Caudill, who is accused of stabbing four people on 16th Street Mall last weekend, resulting in two fatalities. Charged with two counts of first-degree murder and additional counts of attempted murder and assault, Caudill is currently in custody at the Denver City Jail and is being represented by a public defender.
Court documents reveal Caudill’s arrest occurred on Sunday evening, following a series of stabbings that took place between 5 and 6:30 PM on Saturday. The first victim, Celinda Levno, 71, an American Airlines flight attendant, succumbed to wounds sustained to her throat outside a Jamba Juice. Witness Tyler Faulkner described seeing those around her provide aid before being unable to pursue the fleeing suspect.
The second victim, 34-year-old Nicholas Burkett, who was homeless and in a wheelchair, was attacked around 8 PM the following night near Union Station. Details about the two survivors remain undisclosed.
Caudill’s legal history includes multiple encounters with law enforcement since age 16, boasting over a dozen charges from 2018 to 2024. Among these, he faced a sexual assault charge in January, and while in jail, he was accused of assaulting two inmates. Despite completing parole in May, he remained in custody and later joined Colorado’s Bridges Program aimed at addressing mental health within the criminal justice system.
Denver District Attorney John Walsh expressed condolences to the victims’ families and affirmed a strong commitment to pursuing justice in this case.