Body found on I-25 sparks emotions of staff and students

Traffic+backs+up+on+I-25+on+Saturday+September+30+as+the+Douglas+County+Sheriffs+Department+shuts+down+the+right+lane+heading+southbound+after+finding+a+body+near+the+Greenland+road+exit.

I-25 Traffic Cameras

Traffic backs up on I-25 on Saturday September 30 as the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department shuts down the right lane heading southbound after finding a body near the Greenland road exit.

Jakob Aggers, Ranger Review Editor

On Saturday, September 30, the body of Shelby Weatherly, age 24, was reportedly found off of I-25 near the Greenland road exit in Douglas County. According to Denver7 News Station, the body had apparent cuts to the hands and gunshot wounds.

Interstate 25 was shut down for a long period of time on Saturday, and people traveling south-bound had to choose an alternate route. And as a result, there was an extreme amount of traffic leftover.

“Going up wasn’t that bad; it only took about an hour and a half as we expected. But on the way back, it was terrible. When we through Castle Rock (heading south) we were forced to exit and take either Highway 83 or go through Spruce Mountain. So we chose 83, just like every other person in the world,” said Mrs. Thompson, a science teacher at Lewis-Palmer, who experienced firsthand the traffic problem that the shutdown of I-25 caused.

The cause of the death has not yet been determined or announced by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, but that doesn’t stop people from making their own speculations.

When asked what she thought of the incident, Ms. Ellis, a Spanish teacher at Lewis-Palmer said “I think it’s really scary. It makes me wonder if there’s a killer in our community or if it’s just somebody traveling on the interstate that tossed a body out. Either way, it’s scary.”

Although the body was found near Greenland Road, which is about 7 miles away from Monument Hill, many people still think of it as close to home.

“It’s crazy to think that this happened so near our community. Something else could happen any day, and then a person that you personally know could be gone,”  said Austin Jones 10. “I feel really sad that something like this happened. It’s insane to think that you can be so closely affected by something like this.”

After this incident and the recent death on Mount Herman, many people’s opinions have changed about the town of Monument.

“I thought about Monument as a really safe place, but now it’s become really different. Your thoughts and opinions about a place can change super quickly when a tragedy like this happens. It’s just saddening to think about,” said Austin Jones 10.

In addition, increases in violence in Monument may contradict the reason that a person decided to move here.

“The increase in serious crime in Monument is really unsettling. One of the reasons that I chose to live here in Monument is because of the safety and security, so I really don’t like what’s happened,” said Ms. Ellis.

Although many people believe this to be a saddening tragedy, some believe that it isn’t an event worth changing one’s life and daily activities over.

“There’s crime increasing everywhere, but now we’re seeing it in our neck of the woods. I think it’s just circumstance and it doesn’t change my life. I’m still going walking with my dog, it’s not going to let me stop hiking Mount Herman or the Ice Caves,” said Mrs. Thompson.

Looking back on an event like this that is so close to home, people have many different ways of grieving and dealing with tragedy. Although it is very saddening to some people, others try to stay positive and not let it affect their personal lives and daily routines.