Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat Springs police are still following leads in the murder of Lori Bases and although no suspect has been identified, Public Safety Director J.D. Hays said the case is a hot investigation.

"Just because you're not hearing things doesn't mean we're not working on it," Hays said. "This is not going to go away; we're going to continue working on this homicide investigation.

"By no stretch of the imagination are we out of leads."

Hays did not divulge any information on what may or may not be a lead in the case. However RE-2 school officials recently notified students that police wanted to contact two girls who rode a Steamboat Springs Transit bus from Soda Creek Elementary to Central Park Plaza on May 11. That was the night of the middle school choir concert and the day Bases was stabbed to death in her apartment on Steamboat Boulevard.

Police talked with two girls last week who rode a city bus on that date, but Hays said he could not comment on the results of that interview because of safety concerns.

Despite community concern that police have not identified a suspect in the brutal stabbing, Hays said he could not comment on whether Bases knew her attacker.

He said he is confident, though, that the case will be solved.

Also under investigation is the attack on a young woman at a neighborhood park on May 9. Hays said the murder and the attack do not appear to be related.

Police say an unidentified man attempted to sexually assault a 19-year-old Steamboat Springs woman at a playground on Whistler Road. She gave police a description of a white man of medium height with short dark hair, with a thin line of facial hair framing his face and a wide jaw. He had at least one ear pierced. No sketch of the suspect has been created, police said.

Hays said Detective Jerry Stabile is still working on completing interviews with the victim and her friends.

"Obviously, when something like (a murder) happens you throw all your resources at it," Hays said. "Once that initial drive passed, Jerry's been working on (the attack) since."

To reach Michelle Bales call 871-4208 or e-mail mbales@amigo.net