Silverman: Steven Harrington is fighting his murder conviction. DNA evidence once again proved his guilt.

During Denver’s dreadful Summer of Violence in 1993, one horrible attack on an innocent young married couple stood out. The random gang-related murder of dynamic young Denver entrepreneur Tom Hollar on July 23, 1993, and the brutalization of his charismatic widow broke the hearts of most people in Denver. 

I led the prosecution of the perpetrators. Over 30 years later, there have been further legal issues that often require my attention. Thankfully, the latest round of extensive and expensive legal machinations has upheld the Denver DA’s office’s hard-won convictions. 

Time will not diminish the heinousness of these crimes or the perpetrators’ guilt. But who will speak up when the prosecutors and survivors are gone? How much more money will be spent on these miscreants?

Tom Hollar, age 30, was shot dead on the sidewalk in front of central Denver’s Capitol Hill King Soopers. He had tried to prevent Steven Harrington and Shane Davis from abducting his wife, Christina, and taking their vehicle. 

As explained in 1993 by 9News’ Kim Christiansen, Christina was found hours later, naked, unconscious and assaulted in the stolen Honda in the alley behind 21st and Lafayette. She suffered numerous serious bodily injuries, including a crushed orbital bone.

But brave Christina recovered magnificently. She eloquently testified, identifying her attackers and countering attacks on her credibility.

Colorado v. Harrington and Davis was broadcast gavel-to-gavel on Court TV. People watched Christina on the witness stand and sympathized with the brave widow.

After the guilty verdicts were announced on June 6, 1994, a hot 9News microphone caught me whispering a promise to Christina that these two gang members, then in their early 20s, “will never get out of prison.” 

The defendants were sentenced to life in prison plus 200 years for their crimes against Christina. Some wanted capital punishment, including Tom Hollar’s mother, Dr. Nedra Downing, as explained in her 2016 book “When Tom Went West: A Good Life, A Gang Slaying.”

At trial, Harrington’s defense put on an audacious alibi. Delores Mercado testified Harrington could not have murdered Tom Hollar because, on the night of the crime, she was in bed with Harrington. I vigorously cross-examined the alibi witness, who was caught in several whoppers.  After the murder trial, Mercado (and other lying defense witnesses) were charged with perjury, pleaded guilty and went to prison. 

Christina eventually met her wonderful second husband and moved from Colorado. Christina and her spouse have raised two fine children: one now in high school and the other in college.  In 2024, Christina’s youngest child was in social studies learning of wrongly convicted people behind bars and presented with “Shane’s Redemption Campaign.” This Change.org petition asserts that Shane Davis is innocent and wrongly convicted.

Christina called me to express her concerns, which I passed along to the Denver DA and Colorado AG. I reminded Christina that I received a letter from inmate Shane Davis to my private practice admitting to his crimes against Tom and Christina – and begging for forgiveness. That Aug. 28, 2018, letter from Shane Davis confessing his crimes was provided to the Denver DA and Colorado AG. 

Christina, Nedra and I have also spent the past several years responding to well-resourced lawyers and organizations advocating Harrington’s innocence. The Korey Wise Innocence Project embraced Harrington, spending massive resources to champion the unfairness of his conviction, which they wrongly claimed was primarily based on hair microscopy evidence. 

The prestigious and liberal Marshall Project took up the Harrington advocacy. In one dramatic segment of the Marshall Project video (at the 6:30 mark), inmate Harrington proclaims evidence of his hair being at the crime scene was “bullsh*t.”

The Innocence Project scored a significant victory in 2024 when the Denver District Court ordered new and sophisticated DNA hair testing. Last month, we learned that the Bode Technology DNA testing confirmed Harrington’s guilt. The Innocence Project and the Marshall Project took the side of a stone-cold killer. 

The current Denver DA’s office kept me in the loop to explain what was happening to Tom’s widow and mother. Christina was happy to hear the DNA test results last month but had no doubts. Sadly, Nedra Downing passed away shortly after last Thanksgiving. Nedra knew the truth, too. She attended the entire 1994 trial. In her book, Nedra decried the efforts to make the convictions seem racist because her son was white and the convicted defendants were Black. 

On March 11, the Innocence Project officially backed away from Harrington, filing a motion to end further DNA testing and litigation. Denver District Court Judge Alex C. Myers promptly granted the request in case number 93CR2915, perhaps ending this legal ordeal forever. But forever is a long time, and the perpetrators will keep trying to get out.

More than three decades after they victimized the Hollars, these two unrepentant killers caused further damage. They utilized countless hours of court time, taxpayer dollars and non-profit funding to claim they were victims of wrongful convictions. Thankfully, I am still around to remember the case details. So is Christina, who is one of the best humans I’ve ever met.

Tom Hollar was a kind man who loved deeply and lived fully until two vicious criminals took his life and his wife. Christina survived and eventually thrived. 

Rest in peace, Tom and Nedra. Keep going strong, Christina, with your wonderful, loving family and the truth. The Davis confession letter and Harrington DNA only strengthen what was long ago proved beyond any reasonable doubt. 

Sometimes, in our criminal courts, truth and justice still prevail.

Craig Silverman is a former Denver chief deputy DA. Craig is columnist at large for The Colorado Sun and an active Colorado trial lawyer with Craig Silverman Law, LLC. He also hosts The Craig Silverman Show podcast.

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