Defense claims new evidence against Pope’s father

Kim Smith

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 11:48 a.m.

A defense attorney for a teen-ager accused of gunning down his father in January has uncovered more evidence they hope to use to show the 62-year-old man died as a result of his abusive behavior.

According to a motion filed Tuesday in District Court, Frank Pope was a "terrifying psychopath to anyone who truly knew him" and his son, Conan Pope, 15, should not face first-degree murder charges for shooting him.

Deputy Special Public Defender Kristina Wildeveld argues that a more likely charge should be justifiable homicide or voluntary manslaughter. If the boy is charged with anything other than murder, his case can be handled by juvenile authorities.

According to police, Frank Pope came home in early January to find a sink full of dirty dishes and launched into a tirade against Conan Pope and the boy's sister, Desiree, 16.

The boy came out of his bedroom a few moments later with a .357 Magnum and shot his father twice, police said.

Wildeveld believes her client shot his father because he was heading toward Desiree Pope's bedroom holding a broom in a "menacing manner."

Wildeveld has already been successful in getting Conan Pope's indictment on a first-degree murder thrown out by showing that prosecutors did not tell grand jurors that the elder Pope served a prison term for killing an infant daughter in 1962.

In her motion filed Tuesday, Wildeveld is asking permission to present that evidence and other evidence of abuse at a June 27 preliminary hearing that will determine if the boy should be charged with a crime and what charges those should be.

Among the newly discovered evidence are police reports from Longmont, Colo., saying Frank Pope had been arrested a handful of times, including once for allegedly pointing a gun at the head of a woman and threatening to kill her if she blinked.

According to the 1981 report, Frank Pope was upset the woman had been out drinking with his wife, Janet.

Wildeveld also found Colorado records that show Conan Pope was placed in foster care in 1985.

"Investigations reveal that Frank Pope beat all the children he ever had custody of," Wildeveld wrote in her motion.

She continues, "There are records that dot the country whereupon Child Protective Services were constantly investigating and more than a couple of times, taking the children into their custody and away from Frank Pope's wrath of violence."