Vincent Darrell Groves

Case overview

Vincent Darrell Groves was arrested in connection with unsolved murders of at least 10 women linked to a 10-year period of killings beginning in 1978, with killings resuming after a gap between 1982 and 1987. The murders involved victims described as mostly prostitutes. Investigators described the overall pattern as women being picked up, strangled, and dumped in isolated areas across multiple counties.

Groves was convicted of murder in the strangulation death of Diane Mancera, whose body was found dumped at the Surrey Ridge exit off of I-25. He was held without bond in Douglas County Jail and was advised of his rights in Denver County Court, where he asked for a public defender.

People

• Vincent Darrell Groves — defendant; paroled murderer and suspect in multiple prostitute killings
• Diane Mancera — victim; body found in Douglas County on July 25, 1988
• Pam Montgomery — victim; body found in a Denver alley in August 1988
• Jeanette Baca — victim; body found in Jefferson County in 1978; Groves was described as her pimp and as an instant suspect
• Tammy Woodrum — victim; Groves had a previous second-degree-murder conviction in Lakewood for the 1981 strangulation of Tammy Woodrum, 17
• Steven Gayle — defence attorney for Groves in Douglas County; declined comment and denied interviews
• Robert Pepin — defence attorney for Groves in Adams County; declined comment and denied interviews
• Steven Gayle and Robert Pepin — defence attorneys in Douglas and Adams counties, respectively
• Lt. Tom Haney — Denver Homicide Lt.; headed a 12-agency, 25-member task force working the crimes
• Lt. Bill Walker — Douglas County Lt.; discussed evidence and the “battle of the DNA experts”
• Lt. Dennis Potter — Jefferson County Sheriff’s Lt.; discussed interviews and Groves being caught in “hundreds of lies”
• Michael Crawford Wilson — person whose word hinged on an Adams County case; imprisoned in the Ohio State Correctional Facility in Lima, Ohio
• Detective(s) / investigators — discussed investigations, DNA, and trying to prove charged cases
• A witness who asked that his name not be used — saw a tall black man get out of a blue car with headlights off in the alley behind a white brick Park Hill house

Timeline

• 1978 — Killings began in a 10-year period beginning in 1978; investigators said Jeannette Louise Baca may have been the first victim and that her body was found June 17, 1978 in Jefferson County
• June 17, 1978 — Jeanette Louise Baca’s body was found in Jefferson County
• July 4, 1979 — Joyce Ramey was found in a field east of Stapleton International Airport
• August 1979 — Norma Jean Halford’s body was never found; her car was abandoned in Clear Creek County in August 1979
• Feb. 1980 — Cynthia Boyd was found in Adams County
• June 2, 1981 — Pamela Morgan was found in an Aurora motel room
• April 1981 — Juanita Mitchell was found in an Aurora motel room
• 1981 — Groves received a previous second-degree-murder conviction in Lakewood for the 1981 strangulation of Tammy Woodrum, 17
• early 1982 — Groves was in prison for second-degree murder from early 1982 until early 1987
• 1982 — Investigators thought Groves tried to rape a woman in Adams County in 1982; he was never charged with rape and was acquitted of attempted murder
• 1982 — Groves was sentenced to 12 years on one count in 1982 (paroled in 1987)
• 1978 to 1988 — Investigators described the longest killing rampage, stretching from 1978 to 1988
• July 5, 1987 — Karolyn Walker was found in Aurora; Groves was initially a suspect but later was cleared
• April 1987 — Rhonda Fisher, 30, was found in April 1987 in Douglas County
• September 1987 — Zabra Ann Mason, 19, was found in September 1987 in Lakewood
• June 11, 1978 — Jeanette Baca was found in Jefferson County (as stated in the list of 15 deaths)
• Jan. 30, 1988 — Faye Johnson, 22, was found in Arapahoe County
• April 29, 1988 — Juanita Lovato, 19, was found in an Adams County field
• Aug. 12, 1988 — Carolyn Buchanan, 35, was found in rural Denver
• Aug. 14, 1988 — Pamela Montgomery, 35, was found in a Denver alley
• June 12, 1988 — Robin Nelson, 25, was found in a field in Fort Lupton
• June 12, 1988 — Robin Nelson’s death was later described as an accidental overdose with no connection to Groves
• July 25, 1988 — Diane Montoya Mancera was found in Douglas County; prosecutors said Groves was convicted in her strangulation death
• Aug. 12, 1988 — An unidentified woman was found beneath a bridge on Tower Road in Denver
• Aug. 12, 1988 — Carolyn Buchanan was found in rural Denver (as listed among the deaths)
• Aug. 1988 — The last victim was Pam Montgomery; her body was found in a Denver alley last month
• Sept. 1, 1988 — Investigators said they stopped after Groves’ Sept. 1, 1988 arrest
• Oct. 31, 1996 — Groves died in prison

Background

Groves was described as a 34-year-old paroled murderer being held in connection with unsolved murders of at least 10 women. Investigators said the slayings occurred over a 10-year period beginning in 1978. They also said no similar slayings were recorded between 1982 and 1987 when killings started up again, and that Groves was in prison for second-degree murder from early 1982 until early 1987.

Many of the victims had been beaten and strangled, and bodies were dumped in isolated areas of five counties, from Weld to Douglas. Investigators said Groves was the last person seen with at least five of the slain women and that he lived with more than one of the women, according to court records.

The offence

Investigators described the killings as involving street prostitutes who were picked up, strangled, and dumped. The pattern was discussed in connection with the murder of Diane Mancera and the murder of Pam Montgomery.

Investigators also said confidentially that they believed Groves did additional killings beyond the cases charged, but that investigators would probably never be able to prove the others. Groves was charged with only two of the 15 murders linked to him and was cleared in two others; police said they had no leads in the remaining cases.

Diane Mancera

Prosecutors convicted Groves of murder in the strangulation death of Diane Mancera. Her body was found dumped at the Surrey Ridge exit off of I-25 on July 25, 1988.

Pam Montgomery

Pam Montgomery was described as a Denver prostitute whose body was found in a Denver alley. A witness who asked that his name not be used said he was up before dawn to run in a triathlon, and that another car pulled up in the alley behind his white brick Park Hill house. The witness described seeing a blue car with headlights off and a tall black man getting out, and said he could not see the man’s face.

“It’s kind of a constant frustration,” said Denver Homicide Lt. Tom Haney, who headed up the 12-agency, 25-member task force that worked the crimes.
“Everyone would like to solve all their cases, especially these murders. But it’s also satisfying to see at least one or two of them coming to trial. That's the ultimate test of the investigation.”

In connection with the Montgomery case, the witness was described as being unable to positively identify the man that was in the alley, which investigators linked to the case falling apart.

“Unfortunately, I wasn't able to positively identify the man that was in the alley,” he said.
“That's probably the reason the case fell apart. It would have been great if I'd have gotten a license number.”

Investigation

Investigators described a 12-agency, 25-member task force led by Denver Homicide Lt. Tom Haney. They said similarity among the slayings made Groves a suspect in multiple deaths, while also cautioned that there were enough differences that the killings were not necessarily called serial killings at that stage.

Investigators said DNA testing connected Groves with two more deaths. The Adams and Douglas county homicides were described as involving DNA that supposedly linked Groves to two dead women, and Douglas County Lt. Bill Walker said the trial would involve “the battle of the DNA experts.”

“It'll definitely be the battle of the DNA experts,” said Douglas County Lt. Bill Walker.

Investigators also described conflicting evidence in the Adams County case, including an oil puddle that investigators hoped would link Groves’ car to the murder scene tested negative. Other people supposedly admitted to the murder over drugs or a lesbian love triangle.

The Montgomery case was described as fitting a pattern in which a young Colfax Avenue prostitute was strangled and dumped, but investigators noted that a witness could not positively identify the man.

Arrest

Groves was arrested late Thursday on a warrant charging him with suspicion of attempted murder in a case reported almost a year ago. He was being held on $1 million bond pending official filing of charges by the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators said Groves initially would be charged only in the attempted assault but also said similarities in deaths of at least 10 women made Groves a suspect in those slayings. Lt. Tom Haney cautioned against concluding the crimes were serial killings too early in the investigation.

“I think it's too early in the investigation to jump to any conclusions like that,” he said.

Groves was later advised of his rights in Denver County Court and asked for a public defender.

Trial

Groves was held without bond in Douglas County Jail and was being returned to court on April 30, with the description that he was going to trial on a murder charge. The text said the trial date was in connection with his 36th birthday and that it was 11 days after his 36th birthday.

Defense attorneys Steven Gayle and Robert Pepin declined comment and denied interviews with Groves.

Sentencing

Groves was sentenced to 12 years on one count in 1982 and was paroled in 1987. He was later sentenced to a life term in 1989 and sentenced to 20 years on a plea to a third count in 1990.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Groves died in prison on October 31, 1996.

In the list of linked deaths, the Montgomery case was described as having had no charges expected, and the Adams County and Douglas County cases involved DNA and other evidence to be combined to prove Groves was the killer.

The text also described that Groves was never charged with rape and was acquitted of attempted murder.

Aftermath

Investigators said unsolved cases would never be marked closed. Lt. Tom Haney said investigators would actively pursue any new information pointing to anyone, and that they were looking for a witness who may have talked to the killer or seen the victim leave with someone.

“We're not going to officially write them off as him. If any information comes in pointing to anybody, any new evidence, we'll actively pursue that,” Haney said.
“We're always looking for that one witness, the one who may have talked to the killer or seen the victim leave with somebody. We'll see if we can't put that last piece of the puzzle together.”

Linked deaths (15 deaths)

Investigators linked Groves to 15 deaths during 10 years of investigations. The text said Groves was charged in only two of the cases. It stated police had no leads in the others.

• Juanita Lovato, 19, of Denver — found in Adams County on April 29, 1988; Groves was charged with first-degree murder
• Diann Mancera, 25, of Denver — found in Douglas County on July 26, 1988; Groves was charged with first-degree murder
• Rhonda Fisher, 30 — found in April 1987 in Douglas County; investigation continuing, but no charges imminent
• Pamela Montgomery, 35, Denver — found Aug. 14, 1988, in a Denver alley; no charges expected
• Carolyn Buchanan, 35 — found Aug. 12, 1988, in rural Denver; no charges expected
• Joyce Ramey, 23 — found July 4, 1979, in a field east of Stapleton International Airport; charges unlikely
• Faye Johnson, 22, of Denver — found in Arapahoe County on Jan. 30, 1988; charges unlikely
• Jeanette Baca, 17, of Denver — found June 11, 1978, in Jefferson County; charges unlikely
• Zabra Mason, 19, of Lakewood — found September 1987 in Lakewood; no charges to come
• Robin Nelson, 25, of Denver — found in June 12, 1988, in Fort Lupton; turned out to be an accidental overdose with no connection to Groves
• Karolyn Walker, 18, of Aurora — found July 5, 1987, in Aurora; Groves was initially a suspect, but later was cleared
• Juanita Mitchell, 25, of Waco, Texas — found in April 1981 in an Aurora motel room; no charges likely
• Pamela Morgan, 17, of Denver — found June 2, 1981, in an Aurora motel room; no charges likely
• Norma Jean Halford, 21, of San Jose — body never found; car abandoned in Clear Creek County in August 1979
• Cynthia Boyd, 19, of Denver — found in Feb. 1980 in Adams County; no charges filed; case still open

The text also mentioned an unidentified woman found Aug. 12, 1988 beneath a bridge on Tower Road in Denver as part of the discussion of victims.

Other details

Groves’ attorneys Steven Gayle and Robert Pepin declined comment and denied interviews with Groves.

The text said investigators thought Groves tried to rape a woman in Adams County in 1982 and tried to kill a prostitute in Denver in 1988. It said he was never charged with rape and was acquitted of attempted murder.

The text also reported an account from Jefferson County detectives about how investigators believed they got them on Vincent Groves after interviewing him for three or four hours and catching him in hundreds of lies, and it included details about his cousin corroborating facts known to the killer.

“One of the things that got them on Vincent Groves was they interviewed him for three or four hours and caught him in, they said, hundreds of lies,” said Jefferson County Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Potter.

Potter said, “Groves' cousin 'never came out and said Vincent did it, but he corraborated things only the killer could have known,' Potter said.
'For instance, this cousin says that right after the night of the murder, Vincent Groves came back and had black charcoal soot all over his clothes. The murderer burned Jeanette Baca's clothes in a picnic area.'”

“Put those things together with his lies, and though we can't prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, we're confident he's the one who did it,” Potter said.
“We have no information or evidence to lead us elsewhere.”

The text described that Michael Crawford Wilson, while jailed in Denver in 1988, learned from Mr. Groves that Mr. Groves had been put away, his life upended, because he killed a prostitute, and that he then roamed the streets seeking revenge.

“He then roamed the streets, seeking his revenge.”

The text included case descriptors: SEX: M, RACE: B, TYPE: T, MOTIVE: “Sex./Sad.”, and MO: “Rape-slayer of street prostitutes.”