Mother accused of stabbing two children to death makes second court appearance
Claudia Camacho-Duenas, a Glenwood Springs mother accused of stabbing her two children to death, made her second appearance in court Thursday.
In the preliminary hearing, defense counsel Elise Myer and prosecutor Jefferson J. Cheney discussed a series of motions filed by the defense with presiding Judge Denise Lynch. Lynch, who did not have an opportunity yet to read through the prosecution’s responses, was limited in rulings. Myer reserved a bond argument for a future court date, which was set at $1 million in the case’s first hearing.
On Dec. 30, law enforcement responded to a call to the housing complex on the 100-block of Soccer Field Road, across from Glenwood Springs Middle School. Responding officers found the defendant being detained by witnesses after allegedly stabbing her 11-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son multiple times with two knives, according to a police affidavit.
The defense filed a motion for the production and preservation of evidence, citing only 13 items were taken from the crime scene by law enforcement.
“I do believe that there may be certain evidence in that apartment that may be exculpatory in nature and therefore needs to be preserved and protected,” Myer said in the virtual hearing.
The motion also includes a request for text and emails between law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office, according to Cheney.
He countered that it could be interpreted that the motion could require “work product” communications. Myer considered the counter and stood on the motion otherwise, which received no further ruling from Lynch.
Other motions involved law enforcement interaction with the defendant in jail, a notice of invocation of all statutory law and constitutional privileges and a “precautionary” limit to pretrial publicity, citing concern over the national and international attention the case has received.
Camacho-Duenas appeared remotely from the Garfield County Detention Center, receiving interpretation via phone. She did not speak.
The next hearing in the case is set for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 20.
Reporter Rich Allen can be reached at 970-384-9131 or rallen@postindependent.com.
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