A domestic disturbance in the early hours of January 15, 2019, in an Aurora, Colorado home ended with two men dead. Police were called shortly before 2 a.m. about an armed, erratically behaving man inside the residence on South Kenton Street. That man was later identified as 42-year-old Esmond Trimble, the son-in-law of 58-year-old Dean Heerdt.

Officers arriving heard a gunshot from inside. They found Trimble in a back bedroom wearing body armor and armed with two handguns; he refused commands to drop his weapons. An exchange of gunfire followed in which Trimble fired multiple shots, fatally wounding Heerdt. Officers Zachary Ploch and David Kaufman returned fire and struck and killed Trimble. The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office later concluded the officers’ use of force was justified. Both deaths were ruled homicides by the Arapahoe County Coroner. No clear motive for Trimble’s actions was publicly released.

If anyone knew Dean Heerdt or has information about what led up to this incident, please share what you can.