Denver man describes buying a home from Lyndon McLeod – CBS Denver

DENVER (CBS4) – The couple bought the former home of Lyndon McLeod, the accused man shoot spree this week, said their home was raided years ago by police investigating McLeod for an illegal marijuana growing operation. Gabriel Thorn said his home was invaded by law enforcement just weeks after he purchased the property from McLeod.

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Thorn said he met McLeod briefly five years ago when they were finishing walking past the home they were planning to buy in southwest Denver.

“He’s a really weird guy,” Thorn told CBS4’s Dillon Thomas. “He’s this big muscular guy.”

Thorn said McLeod had a mysterious side to him in their brief interactions. McLeod said he and his wife always believed that Lyndon McLeod was not the 47-year-old’s legal name.

While that’s his legal name, Thorn didn’t know McLeod was also an author with the pseudonym “Roman McClay.” He has written several books depicting a character, also named Lyndon McLeod, who embarks on a killing spree across Colorado as a way to get back at those who mistreat him in the past.

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On Monday, December 27, police said the real McLeod was involved in a shootout through Denver and Lakewood, killing five people and injuring two. One of the injured was a Lakewood police agent.

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McLeod killed people he had contacts with and also targeted properties with which he had previous ties.

“The police showed up around 10:30 that night and they asked everyone at my house if they were okay, and then they asked for Lyndon McLeod,” Thorn said.

Thorn said he was heartbroken to learn of what McLeod had done and was grateful that his family had suffered the violence. Because McLeod has targeted places and people he’s associated with before, Thorn says he can’t help but wonder if the officers who killed the gunman ended up saving his family. or not.

Thorn said McLeod had left his old home in strange shape, noting the number of animal skulls left behind as well as the paintings of human skulls.

“There were just some weird things about the house when we moved in,” says Thorn. There are animal skulls in the garage, there are painted skulls in random locations throughout the house,” Thorn said.

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When Thorn bought the house, he was also unaware of its hidden features. When they moved in, they found several gun safes hidden throughout the house in areas that were heavily camouflaged or undetectable when filled with everyday items.

Denver Police confirmed McLeod was “on their radar” in investigations in 2020 and 2021. However, Sheriff Paul Pazen said the investigations never met the standards of the prosecution. state or federal prosecution. The nature of those investigations has not been made public by the police.

While Thorn said he had suspected McLeod from the start, he said he had always assumed McLeod had fled the country to avoid criminal prosecution.

“What he did was worse than we thought,” Thorn said.