I have come to hate this case more than any story I've ever worked on, at least since the trial of Richard Nixon and the Manson-family murders. This one is no longer about points of law or precedent, but entirely about the difference between Right and Wrong in America. The time has come to stand up and be counted, to declare which side you are on today and forever, especially all those who believe in heaven and hell. They too will be judged and punished for their crimes, and the Lisl Auman case is one of them.
As Hunter said, Lisl was originally sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Denver police officer Bruce Vanderjagt. Officer Vanderjagt was killed by skinhead Matthaus Jahenig following a police chase and traffic stop. Lisl was a passenger in Jahenig's car. Earlier that day, he had helped her break into her ex-roomate's apartment to retrieve her belongings. Lisl was in the back of the patrol car when Jahenig unexpectedly shot the officer. He then killed himself.
Lisl served 8 years of her life sentence in the Colorado State Penitentiary before the conviction was overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court for improper jury instructions on the burglary charge, which required the felony murder conviction also to be overturned. She faced a retrial and took a plea bargain for a 20 year community corrections sentence. Since she had done 8 years, she was eligible to be transferred from prison to a halfway house, and eligible for parole six months later. That six months was up this week.
While Lisl may now live on her own in the Denver metro area, she is not free of state control. Under the terms of her parole , she faces 9 more years of close supervision.
It's time for Lisl to return to society. The money we would have spent on her continued incarceration can be used much more wisely elsewhere.
Good luck Lisl. Parole is no walk in the park, but it sure beats life in prison. And a toast to Hunter, wherever his spirit is resting today.
You can read more at Lisl's website.