~ by Rick Langenberg ~
The retrial saga surrounding one of Woodland Park’s most notorious murder cases is progressing through the court, with an initial verdict expected shortly, and the announcement of a definite trail date.
Jacob Ind, 40, is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of his mother and stepdad, Pamela and Kermode Jordan. The double murder, which occurred in 1992, jolted the community. Ind’s month-plus murder trial in 1994 commanded main stage attention and was generated national coverage He was only 15-years old when the murders occurred.
Ind was granted a bid for a retrial due to the fact that he was denied the right to testify in his behalf, at the threat of his attorneys. Plus, a Supreme Court ruling in 2012 trounced a previous sentence that put Ind behind bars for life with no chance of parole.
Last year, Judge Jane Tidbal threw out his life sentence and granted him a retrial. The judge maintained that Ind’s constitutional rights were denied because he couldn’t testify in his behalf. One of his attorneys had allegedly told Ind that if he testified, they would no longer represent him.
The main issue now is whether he should be tried in the District Court again, or in juvenile court. Most insiders are predicting that the case will be tried in the District Court, with a date expected to be set by Judge Lin Billings-Vela shortly. Ind appeared in the Teller District Court last week.
In the forthcoming trial, Ind is expected to document extensive physical and emotional abuse he incurred, in arguing that he killed his parents in self-defense.
Prosecutors will most likely depict the brutality of the crimes.
Ind killed his parents in their Sunnywood home with the help of Gabriel Adams, who also was tried and convicted for murder. Adams died of a self-inflicted death in prison several years ago. Ind actually hired Adams to kill his parents, but Ind delivered the final fatal blows.
It is unclear if the new trial will attract the same media hype as in 1994.
Ind has been the focus of documentaries, media stories and even a book, called the Killing of Jacob.
He has received his share of supporters in recent years.
Still, insiders contend he faces an uphill challenge in trying to gain his freedom. Proving self-defense, via abuse, is a tough mountain to climb, according to legal experts.
However, jurors at the time said if they had known the implications of his sentence, they may have changed their decision. The judge who handled the case, Mary Jane Looney, chastised Ind in the final sentencing hearing regarding the violence of the crimes. But at the same time, she admitted that she opposed this type of staunch, life behind bars with no chance of parole sentence.
Several current law officers and politicians, such as Cripple Creek Police Chief Mike Rulo and Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers were involved in the case in previous positions. Rulo served as the police chief of Woodland Park at the time, and Suthers was the District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District. He played a big role in the decision to try Ind for murder as an adult.
