DENVER — The 24-year-old accused of fatally stabbing two people along Denver’s 16th Street Mall in early 2025 has been found incompetent to proceed to trial.
Elijah Caudill was charged with first-degree murder in January 2025 after he allegedly stabbed 71-year-old Celinda Levno and 34-year-old Nicholas Burkett to death, and also injured two others, in downtown Denver.
Denver
Victims killed in 16th Street Mall stabbing attacks identified
The Denver District Attorney's Office confirmed to Denver7 that Caudill was found incompetent to proceed to trial and the court ordered that he undergo restoration. More hearings are scheduled before the case is dismissed.
Our news partners at The Denver Post broke this story on Friday morning.
This case began to unfold on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
Around 5:12 p.m. that day, a man was slashed in the face by the suspect, and was able to transport himself to a hospital, Denver police said. About five minutes later, the suspect attacked Levno, police said. She was transported to a hospital and died of her injuries.
Arresting documents show the suspect stabbed a third person near 16th and Lawrence Street around 5:54 p.m. That person was brought to a hospital with serious injuries to his arm and torso, but survived.
The following day, Jan. 12, 2025, the suspect attacked and killed Burkett around 8:06 p.m., police said.
Denver police announced Caudill's arrest late in the evening of Jan. 12, 2025. They said he had been spotted running with a long, "butcher-style" knife just before his arrest.
After Caudill's arrest, Denver7 Investigates dug into his history and found an extensive criminal background, including threats made against a property manager in Westminster in 2021, an attempted purse snatching and a case involving stolen baseball cards that was later dismissed, as Denver7 previously reported. Records show he faces two cases of misdemeanor sexual assault, a misdemeanor assault case, and a criminal mischief charge.
During a news conference in 2025, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said Caudill was released from jail in November 2024 on a personal recognizance bond. A Denver District Attorney's Office spokesperson confirmed with Denver7 Investigates that Caudill was released on bond while being placed into a mental health program called Bridges of Colorado.
Don Caudill, the defendant's grandfather, spoke to Denver7's Jaclyn Allen via Zoom a few days after the attack, saying his family has received online backlash following the crimes. He said his grandson has struggled with substance abuse, including fentanyl and heroin.
Denver7 Investigates
16th Street Mall stabbing suspect's grandfather points to mental health concerns
"I do know he hears voices, imagines things, and he does self-medicate on the street," the grandfather told Denver7. "He was taking ADHD meds, and he quit because he didn't think he needed them. He got out there on the streets and started using drugs to medicate himself."
Limited other details about the ruling of Caudill's competency are available as of publishing time.
Denver7 Investigates has reported extensively on Colorado's competency law, which critics say leaves the legal system at the crossroads of empathy and accountability.
As calls for reform grow louder, multiple district attorneys and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis have weighed in on the law, saying it should be examined in the current legislative session.
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