Thomas McCormick

Case record

Background

Thomas McCormick recruited homeless men from a Denver church mission to work on his sprawling Eastern Plains ranch, then murdered them rather than pay them.

Thomas McCormick died on November 15, 1997.

The offence

Authorities believed 17 men were shot, bludgeoned, stangled and buried on the ranch.

Michael McCormick told authorities his father killed up to 18 men.

Investigation

Jefferson County authorities reopened the murder investigation after they learned of Mike McCormick’s release.

Bob Watson reopened the murder investigation, asking his part-time investigator Holloway to see if it was possible to find the bodies of as many as 14 ranch workers believed to be killed.

Bob Watson said: “In a lot of ways these were considered disposable human beings,” of the 17 men believed shot, bludgeoned, stangled and buried on the ranch.

Holloway said when two suspects of a crime point fingers at each other, “it complicates an investigation,” but the graves of the other men could offer clues about who committed the murders.

Holloway said: “For example, if the bodies of the victims show that more than one weapon was used to kill them, it may indicate more than one killer.”

Holloway said: “It would be unusual for a killer to use more than one type of weapon.”

Holloway said: “When different weapons are used it often indicates two killers were involved.”

Authorities had already found such evidence in 1987.

An autopsy of Sowarsh’s skeleton indicated that he had been shot in the head with a shotgun and that his body also had five pistol wounds. Heavy fence wire was wrapped around Sowarsh’s lower right leg.

Holloway collected 15 boxes of evidence in the case from Jefferson County and Kit Carson County storage facilities and had about six boxes of the most critical evidence organized digitally.

Holloway tracked down the bodies of the three men killed on the ranch. Their remains had been kept in a laboratory at Colorado State University until 2002 and then transferred to Kit Carson County and stored in evidence boxes.

Holloway said she sent Sowarsh’s skeleton, which was missing a skull, to the Netherlands for DNA testing to confirm his identity.

Holloway used victim assistance funds to have the skeletons of all three men cremated and their ashes sent to relatives.

When Holloway contacted Plance’s family she learned that they had never been told that his body was found.

Holloway said: “They didn’t even know he had died,” and also said: “His sister had died a few months before I called them and she never learned what had happened to him.”

Although members of Sinclair’s family had made a request to get his remains back after the investigation was completed, Sinclair’s body had remained in the evidence box, Holloway said.

Sinclair’s sister Pamela Nail died four years ago. Lonnie Nail said Pamela Nail had tried to get the remains from investigators years ago.

Lonnie Nail said: “She tried to and they said they had to keep them for a study,” and also said: “It was important to her to put her dad to rest.”

Lonnie Nail said Pamela died believing that Mike McCormick, who was convicted of killing Donoho, also killed her father.

Lonnie Nail said: “She always wondered why they never charged him with murder,” and also said: “She was upset.”

Lonnie Nail said he believed Thomas McCormick’s mug shot showed that Thomas McCormick had been arrested for first-degree murder in 1986.

Arrest

Thomas McCormick was arrested for first-degree murder in 1986.

Trial

Charges against Tom McCormick were dismissed.

Mike McCormick was charged and convicted of first-degree murder in Donoho’s death.

Mulligan said Mike McCormick’s accusation against his father in the murders of men on his ranch would not be enough evidence to convict Tom McCormick.

Mike McCormick’s appeals attorney Patrick Mulligan said his client passed a lie detector test indicating he was truthful about the murders.

Patrick Mulligan said he did not believe discrepancies in different accounts Mike McCormick gave of the murders were substantial.

In 2005, Mulligan won an appeal for Mike McCormick, getting his murder conviction in Donoho’s death overturned after he proved his client’s trial attorney was ineffective.

Appeals

Jefferson County authorities refiled murder charges against Mike McCormick after the conviction was overturned.

Outcome

Jefferson County authorities entered a deal with Mike McCormick in which he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder if he would not have to serve any additional time behind bars.

Upon Mike McCormick’s release, Jefferson County authorities called Bob Watson and told him about the release.

Aftermath

Holloway tracked down and identified remains, sent skeletons for DNA testing, cremated the skeletons of all three men, and sent their ashes to relatives.

Plance’s family learned for the first time that his body had been found, after Holloway contacted them.

Sinclair’s family remained without access to Sinclair’s remains after the investigation was completed because his body had remained in the evidence box.

Lonnie Nail said Pamela Nail died believing Mike McCormick also killed her father and said she was upset that they never charged Mike McCormick with murder.