Roger Allan Coderre (DOB: 02-06-1968) was sentenced by the First Judicial District Court on Friday to 22 years in prison for assaulting three unhoused men in Golden in 2019.
“One of our office’s greatest priorities is to aggressively prosecute those who target vulnerable people in our community and this was definitely one of those cases,” said Jennifer Rhoads, an Assistant District Attorney in the First Judicial District (Gilpin/Jefferson). “The judge’s sentence is appropriate and we hope that it provides a sense of justice to the victims and community.”
On June 12, 2019, Coderre approached two unhoused men walking along the sidewalk on Jackson Street in Golden – between Ford Street and 14th Street. Described as being dressed in all black with a mask on, Coderre repeatedly struck the two victims with a metal baton while verbally harassing them. Both men were transported to a local hospital where they received multiple staples for their head wounds.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Coderre matched the description of a masked assailant from a prior assault of an unhoused man that occurred in the same vicinity on January 5, 2019. This attack occurred in a church parking lot and also involved a baton. Similar to the second assault, the victim reported being verbally harassed with his attacker shouting – “get out of my Golden”, and, “If I see you again, I’ll kill you,”.
Using surveillance footage from surrounding residences and businesses, officers from the Golden Police Department were able to identify Coderre’s vehicle. An anonymous call was made to an investigator on the case claiming that two unhoused men were trying to trick the police. When questioned by the police, Coderre admitted to placing the call and following the victims during the incident but denied involvement. During the interview, he also made derogatory comments about people experiencing homelessness.
On August 5, Coderre was found guilty by a Jefferson County jury of nine charges, including multiple counts of assault and felony menacing. The defendant’s guilty verdict included charges for:
- First-Degree Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury with a Deadly Weapon (2 Counts)
- Second-Degree Assault Causing Injury with a Deadly Weapon (2 Counts)
- Felony Menacing with a Real or Simulated Weapon (3 Counts)
- Attempt to Influence a Public Servant
- Attempt to Commit Second-Degree Assault Causing Injury with a Deadly Weapon