On January 11, 2024, Brandon Timms (38), the child's father, shot and killed Angel Meyers (43), the child's mother, at their shared home on Blackwolf Drive in Parker, Colorado. He then drove 7-year-old Dane Timms to the Rueter-Hess Incline, approximately seven miles away, where he shot and killed Dane before fatally shooting himself. The Douglas County Coroner ruled Dane's death a homicide and Brandon's death a suicide. Contributing factors identified in the child fatality review included the father's abuse of pain medication, financial hardships including facing eviction, domestic violence dynamics involving financial abuse, a firearm in the home, and the father's disability from a back injury. Dane was autistic and non-verbal with many developmental delays.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
All sources confirm the deaths involved gunshot wounds. The Denver Gazette states all three "died from gunshot wounds." The fatality report lists "A firearm in the home" as a risk and contributing factor.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
All three sources confirm that the child died from gunshot wounds inflicted by Brandon Timms. The Denver Gazette states "Angel Meyers, 43, Brandon Timms, 38, and Dane Timms, 7, all died from gunshot wounds." The Denver7 article states Brandon Timms "shot and killed the child."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The Denver7 article headline and text describe this as a "murder-suicide." The Denver Gazette reports the coroner "ruled the deaths of Meyers and Dane Timms as homicides and the death of Brandon Timms as a suicide." Brandon Timms killed Angel Meyers and Dane Timms, then killed himself.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report explicitly identifies the perpetrator as the child's "Father" with age 38 years old, matching Brandon Timms. The child shares the last name Timms with Brandon Timms. The Denver7 article identifies Dane as "Meyers' son," and the fatality report lists both a Mother (43) and Father (38) as caregivers, corresponding to Angel Meyers and Brandon Timms respectively.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
The Denver7 article states "He was autistic and she wanted to give him every advantage that he could possibly have." The fatality report states "The child was non-verbal" and "The child had many delays and needs which could have contributed to the overall stress in the home." Autism and non-verbal status are neurological developmental disabilities.
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report is publicly disclosed because the family "was involved with a County Department of Human/Social Services within three years prior to the incident" per the Public Disclosure Notice. The report references "Trails referrals, assessments, and case records" as documents reviewed and notes strengths in "the prior assessments, as they were thorough and allowed the caseworker to understand the dynamics in the home despite their being no surviving adults to speak to." This confirms prior child protection involvement.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report lists as a risk and contributing factor: "Sometimes the victim of domestic violence does not realize they are being victimized due to power and control dynamics." Additionally, "The father removed the mother from back accounts and was operating them without the mother" describes financial abuse, a form of domestic violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report lists among the risk and contributing factors: "The father was abusing his pain medication" and "The father grew up in a home with alcohol abuse." The first directly references the father's substance abuse.
Notable Details
The fatality report reveals several notable systemic and contextual details. The family had prior involvement with Douglas County Department of Human/Social Services, yet the CFRT "did not identify any gaps" or recommendations. The fatality report identifies significant financial abuse dynamics: "The father removed the mother from back accounts and was operating them without the mother," "The family was facing eviction," and "Day trading can lead to financial loss." Additionally, the father's back injury "caused a shift from him being a financial contributor to being a person with a disability." The Denver7 article also notes that the victim (Angel Meyers) had a 17-year-old daughter who was not home at the time: "She is still young. She's a minor still. But she will need schooling. She'll need help with a place to live." The community raised funds via a pancake breakfast organized by Dads of Parker, with 300-500 attendees.
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