On the day Lee Keltner died, he attended a right-wing rally in downtown Denver with a man who bore a tattoo associated with a far-right group and another who wore the patch of an outlaw motorcycle gang.
During the rally, Keltner’s son referred to a Black man with a racial slur and threatened to “cut (him) up,” according to court filings. He was carrying several knives. And Keltner, 49, was carrying a concealed gun.
But whether a jury should hear that information — and other details about the day — is a nuanced legal question that’s now being debated in the high-profile murder case.
Unlicensed security guard Matthew Dolloff, 31, was charged with second-degree murder after he shot and killed Keltner as Keltner left the rally on Oct. 10. Dolloff is claiming self-defense.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office argued in court filings that some information about Keltner’s political views, and about the character of the people he attended the rally with, should not be allowed as evidence in the case because it is not relevant and is likely to improperly sway jurors.