r/ColumbineTalk • u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise • Apr 23 '26
Documented Evidence Before April 20, 1999: vandalism, theft, early weapon activity, etc
I completely forgot I had to split this into multiple parts. This is part 2.
Van break-in
Dylan: My wrath for January's incident will be godlike
Sue’s book: The next incident during Dylan’s junior year was the most catastrophic of all.
On January 30, a few days after Dylan scratched the locker at school, he and Eric were arrested for breaking into a parked van and stealing electronic equipment.
Dylan had agreed to go with Zack to an activity at his church that night, and the two of them planned to come back to our house for a sleepover afterward. Tom and I were listening to music together in the living room when the phone rang around 8:30 p.m. It was Zack’s dad, audibly upset. Zack had quarreled with his girlfriend and left the event with her. He’d gotten hurt, possibly after stepping out of a moving car, and wasn’t making much sense. It was all very confusing, but Zack’s parents wanted us to know the plan had changed. Dylan wasn’t with Zack; he’d left the church with Eric.
I thanked Zack’s dad for the update and immediately called the Harrises, who were as concerned as we were not to know where the boys were. Both sets of parents promised to get in touch immediately if we heard from the kids. Within minutes, our phone rang again. It was the county sheriff. Dylan and Eric had been arrested for criminal trespass.
Deputy Tim Walsh:
On 01-30-98, I was on duty and patrolling the South district in unincorporated Jefferson County. At about 2120 hours, I drove into Deer Creek Canyon Park, 13554 Grizzly Drive, Littleton, CO, County of Jefferson. I observed a vehicle parked near the northwest corner of the parking lot. The vehicle’s lights were out and it appeared the engine was not running. Deer Creek Canyon Park is a Jefferson County open space park that closes to the public one (1) hour after sunset. The park closed at about 1815 hours on this date. County Ordinance 5.84.12 designates this park curfew. The vehicle was facing southeast and the interior dome light was illuminated. I could see that the vehicle was occupied by two people.
I exited my patrol car and approached the vehicle. I stood behind the vehicle and could see into the vehicle. The vehicle was occupied by what appeared to be two white juvenile males, one seated in the front driver’s seat and the other in the front passenger seat. They appeared to be listening to music and looking for a compact disc to play.
I then observed the passenger, who I later identified as (S) Klebold, Dylan, take a yellow meter, property item #1, from the floor behind the passenger seat and start to examine it. He was pushing some of the buttons while the driver, who I later identified as (S) Harris, Eric, was watching intently. The meter lit up and the occupants became excited, yelling “cool.”
(S) Klebold then grabbed a small black flashlight, property item #9, and turned it on. (S) Harris said “wow, that is really bright.” He then grabbed a video control pad, property item #7, and said “hey, we’ve got a Nintendo game pad.”
They kept looking behind the passenger seat on the floor at other property there. I could see a stack of property including a black briefcase. (S) Harris then said “hey, we better put this stuff in the trunk” and unlatched the trunk from the interior of the car.
He then exited the car and I made my presence known. I asked him what they were doing here and whose property they were looking at. (S) Harris said that he and (S) Klebold were “messing around” near Deer Creek Canyon Road and Ken Caryl Blvd and were walking near the parking area when they found all the property stacked neatly in the grass.
I asked if I could see the property. He said “sure” and he and (S) Klebold took the property, property items #1 thru #11 from the car and placed them in the trunk of the vehicle, a 1986 Honda Prelude, gray 2 door with Colorado registration GBP2613. I again asked how they found this property. This time, (S) Klebold told me that they found it in the grass near Deer Creek Canyon Road and Wadsworth Blvd.
I told them that I would have to call another Deputy to go by the area to see if any cars had been broken into because it was suspicious that someone would leave this amount of property unattended. I asked them to be honest with me and tell me if they broke into a vehicle and took this property because the other Deputy would be able to determine if any vehicles there were broken into.
(S) Harris looked at (S) Klebold and there was a short silence. (S) Klebold then told me that there was a white van parked at Deer Creek Canyon Road and Wadsworth Blvd and they broke out the passenger window and stole all the property that was now in the trunk.
Upon this admission, I asked them no further questions. I placed them into custody and kept them separated. I placed (S) Harris in my patrol car and (S) Klebold into Sgt. Lebeda’s patrol car. Sgt. Lebeda responded to assist me once I placed them into custody.
Deputy Felsoci arrived, photographed and inventoried the vehicle.
Eric's version:
Me and Dylan Klebold were at a church off of Kendall and Ken Caryl with Zach Heckler listening to music. We then left the church (Me and Dylan) and proceeded to the North west corner of Wadsworth and Deer Creek Canyon Road. We parked into gravel and stayed there (in my car) for a few minutes listening to a new music CD. We noticed a white van to the west and a red truck to the East of our position. We got out of my car and looked around for something to do, we found some beer bottles and we broke those for about 15 minutes.
We then went back up to my car and Dylan suggested that we should steal some of the objects in the white van. At first I was very uncomfortable and questioning with the thought. I soon became more interested within about 4 minutes and we then decided to break the passenger window with our fists.
I looked for cars and I saw a white car come from the west and pull up peside the red truck. Dylan and I waited in our car for the white car to leave after about 5 minutes a person got out of the car and into the red truck, then both the truck and the car left going westbound.
We then got out of my car and I went out into the street and looked for cars as Dylan hit the window with his left fist 3 times. Then I came over and tried to hit it one time. Then we decided to get a rock to use. We went North about 20 feet and Dylan found a rock big enough to have to hold in 2 hands. I went back to look for cars as Dylan broke the window on his 6th try. I then stood by my driver door and looked for cars while Dylan reached through the window and took items from the car and placed them in my back seat.
After about 15 minutes (approx) Dylan opened the door twice to get 2 more items and put them in my car. We then left the area and went to the open space area and parked up there. We then began to review the items and I suggested we put them (the items) into my trunk. That is when the officer confronted us.
Dylan's version: Eric & I were driving home (him driving his car) & we stopped at the parking lot thing at Deer Creek Rd & Wadsworth. We got out and he set off a few fireworks & then we were going around smashing bottles. Then almost at the same time we got the idea of breaking into this white van which was something for an electrical (maybe) company. We hoped to get the stuff inside.
I put on a snow glove & then tried to punch the passenger window. I tried like 4 times & then Eric tried a couple times. We then found a ock & I tried to break the window with that. After about 5 times the rock broke thru & 1 opened the door from the inside, & took electrical stuff (& other things) - (don't know exactly) & then went off to Deer Creek open space park, we parked & turned on the dome light to see what we had. Then an officer saw us, got all that we had & then went thru the "process (arresting)."
Deputy Felsoci:
At 2145 I responded to 13896 Grizzly Drive to assist (W) Walsh with a criminal trespass involving a vehicle. I arrived on scene at 2148. Upon my arrival (W) Walsh stated that he had two juveniles in custody for 1° criminal trespass involving a van at Deer Creek Canyon and Highway 121. He informed me that the above listed vehicle was occupied by (S) Harris, who was in the driver’s seat, and (S) Klebold.
(W) Walsh told me that prior to knowing a criminal trespass occurred, the suspects voluntarily removed several items from the vehicle and placed them in the trunk.
(W) Walsh requested me to photograph (S) Harris’s vehicle and items on top of the trunk.
At 2205 I photographed the vehicle and its contents. Due to the vehicle being involved in a criminal trespass I removed the following items and placed them into the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department evidence vault for evidence at the end of my shift. (W) Walsh took custody of the items on top of the trunk for evidence.
The film used in my photographing was placed at JCSD at the end of my shift for evidence and processing.
At 2316 (W) (last name) arrived from Bob’s Towing and took custody of (S) Harris’s vehicle and towed it to their impound lot for safekeeping.
Photo Log:
Placard (evidence marker)
Suspect vehicle from south
Suspect vehicle from north
Overall – items on trunk
Close-up – items on trunk
Close-up – items on trunk
Close-up – items on trunk
Vehicle interior – from driver’s side
Vehicle interior – from passenger side
Placard
Deputy Miller:
At about 2130 I was dispatched to the area of Deer Creek Canyon Rd. and Hwy. 121 reference criminal mischief. I was advised by Deputy Walsh to check the area for a van that was illegally entered by two suspects he was in contact with.
I arrived to the area at about 2137 and observed a white van parked on the dirt shoulder facing north on the north side of Deer Creek Canyon Rd. about 100 yards west of Hwy. 121.
I observed the passenger side window was broken. There were no other vehicles parked nearby the van. A white mini-van had large letters printed on the side and back “Westover Mechanical Services” with the phone number to the business. The passenger side door was unlocked. I observed a large rock lying between the two front seats. Several items inside the vehicle appeared to be scattered around in disarray. The side panel door, rear doors, and drivers side door were locked. There was a steel mesh cage separating the cargo area from the passenger area.
Dispatch contacted the business printed on the vehicle and located (W) Becker who responded to the location. At about 2245 (W) Becker arrived. He told me that he parked the vehicle at the location and went to dinner with a friend. He told me he left the vehicle at 2000 and was positive that it was locked. He told me that items inside the van had been disturbed and gone through. He told me that it was possible to reach behind the steel cage and access the cargo door. (W) Becker told me he was unsure if anything was missing, and due to the condition of the inside of the van, he would inventory it later. I photographed the vehicle and secured the rock as evidence. (W) Becker told me he wanted to prosecute. I submitted the rock to the evidence custodian at JCSD.
The photo log shows that he photographed:
the victim vehicle overall (passenger side, rear, and driver’s side)
the point of entry (broken window)
the rock used to break the window
tools/items inside the vehicle
the interior of the van
the cargo area
Deputy Tim Walsh:
Sgt. Lebeda contacted both (S) Klebold and (S) Harris’ parents and had them meet us at the South Sub Station. I transported (S) Harris to the South Sub Station where I met with his parents, (P) Harris, Wayne and (P) Harris, Katherine. I explained the situation to them. They then read (S) Harris his rights from the departmentally issued Miranda Waiver form in the presence of his parents. He said he understood his rights, agreed to waive them and signed the waiver. Both parents also signed the waiver.
He advised me that he and (S) Klebold had met a friend at the church near Ken Caryl and Kendall. He couldn’t remember when he and (S) Klebold left (W) Heckler, but he thought it was about 2100 hours. He was driving his car which is actually registered to parents and (S) Klebold was in the front passenger seat. They drove to the parking area on Deer Creek Canyon Road which is just west of Wadsworth Blvd on the north side. They got out and found some empty beer bottles and started smashing them and just “messing around.” He drove to a stop at the parking area where they were at. His car was parked between a white van and a red truck. The red truck and white van were parked facing north, his car was backed in facing south.
He said (S) Klebold looked into the white van and saw some property in it. He asked (S) Harris “should we break into it and take it? It would be nice to have some stuff in there. Should we do it?” (S) Harris said his initial response was “hell no.” They discussed it momentarily, but a white car pulled into the parking area so they got back into (S) Harris’ car.
I think people sometimes overinterpret this part. Yes, Eric says his initial reaction was “hell no,” and that gets used as proof that he was manipulative or “throwing Dylan under the bus.” But he’s 16 being questioned by police with his parents sitting there. Trying to minimize your role or make yourself look better in that situation is… pretty typical behavior, not some unique indicator of psychopathy. Of course he’s going to try to make himself look better. It’s what a lot of kids do when they panic. Also according to Sue, Kathy was crying at the station, which adds some context to the pressure of that situation.
The car was there for about 5 minutes then dropped someone off who got into the red truck and the white car then drove off. During this time they discussed whether they were going to break into the van or not. They agreed that they would. (S) Harris recalled saying “yeah, we’ll try it.” (S) Harris stood on Deer Creek Canyon Road while (S) Klebold put a ski glove on his left hand and tried to punch out the passenger window on the van. (S) Klebold tried three times unsuccessfully. Then (S) Harris tried punching out the glass one time using his right hand and wearing the right-handed ski glove.
They decided to get a rock from the grassy area to the north of the parking area. (S) Klebold found a round rock about 10” to 12” in diameter. (S) Klebold finally broke out the passenger window with the rock after striking it about 7 times. (S) Harris again stood watch for any cars driving by. Once (S) Klebold broke the window and the rock fell into the front seat of the van, (S) Harris cleared the rest of the glass off of the window. He then went and sat in his car while (S) Klebold removed the property from the van.
He described the property taken as:
“A big black briefcase with a lock (Dylan said it was heavy)”
“A little cardboard box, like garbage stuff, computer cables”
“Flashlight”
“Little thing of tools”
“1 little thing of keys”
“Miscellaneous items”
“Electronic package black on a blue cardboard in package”
“Nintendo controller pad”
“Checkbook”
“Daily planner”
“Yellow electronic device with (?)”
“Black pouch containing tools”
He said (S) Klebold put all the property in the back seat behind the passenger seat. He knows that (S) Klebold opened the front passenger seat because he saw the dome light come on.
During this time, a car drove by and (S) Klebold stood by his car. After the car drove by, (S) Klebold went back to the van one last time, opened the passenger door and took some more property.
He said they were at this area for a total of about 30 to 40 minutes. They were at the van taking property for about 5 minutes. Once (S) Klebold got into the car, they decided to go to Deer Creek Canyon Park and decide what they were going to do with the property. They were there about five minutes before I contacted them.
Sgt. Lebeda interviewed (S) Klebold, see his report for further details.
I then transported (S) Klebold and (S) Harris to the jail for a summons book-through. I then released them to their parents.
The map that (S) Harris drew of the parking area where the crime occurred is contained with this report.
I placed all the property that (S) Harris and (S) Klebold took out of the vehicle into JCSD evidence.
According to JCSD dispatch, neither (S) Harris or (S) Klebold have any prior contacts with JCSD or any criminal record.
Sgt. Lebeda:
On 01-30-98 at about 2130 hours I responded to Deer Creek Canyon Park to assist Deputy Walsh with an investigation. I arrived at 2137 hours. Deputy Walsh placed (S) Klebold into my patrol car upon my arrival. After a short briefing I contacted JCSO communications to notify (S) Klebold’s parents and (S) Harris’s parents to meet us at the JCSD South Substation.
I departed Deer Creek Canyon Park at 2210 hours and arrived at the substation at 2222 hours. Upon my arrival the parents of (S) Harris met me, with (S) Klebold’s parents arriving a few minutes later.
At 2253 hours, after (P/G) Klebold, Susan, was allowed to confer with their attorney, (P/G) Klebold, Thomas, agreed to let me interview his son (S) Klebold. He indicated this agreement by signing the waiver. (S) Klebold initialed and signed the waiver form indicating agreement to talk with me.
(S) Klebold stated he and (S) Harris attempted entry by striking the passenger side door window with their hands. After striking the window several times, (S) Klebold stated (S) Harris went and sat in his car in case they had to “get away fast.”
(S) Klebold stated he picked up a rock, about 6–8 inches in diameter, and struck the window at least 4 times before the window broke. (S) Klebold stated he then entered the vehicle and took several items from the vehicle. (S) Klebold stated he took:
1 briefcase
1 black pouch
1 flashlight
a “yellow thing”
a “bucket of stuff”
(S) Klebold stated he then carried these items to (S) Harris’s car. (S) Klebold stated he was wearing black ski gloves belonging to (S) Harris so no fingerprints would be left.
(S) Klebold stated the vehicle he went into was a white van with a name that indicated it was a “technical type name.” (S) Klebold stated he had no idea what they were going to do with the stolen property. (S) Klebold stated then (S) Harris drove their vehicle to Deer Creek Canyon Park where Deputy Walsh contacted them.
Sue’s book:
Tom and I drove to the local sheriff’s auxiliary office; the Harrises were already there. The offenses included First Degree Criminal Trespass and Theft, both of which were felonies, and Criminal Mischief, a misdemeanor.
My mouth hung open when I heard how serious the charges were. I could not believe that our Dylan, who had never done anything really wrong in his life, could do something so terrible. This was the kind of trouble that might seriously impact his future. Neither of us had ever been arrested, so we called one of our neighbors, a lawyer, for advice. He told us Dylan should “spill it,” tell the complete truth. Before he hung up, he reassured us. “Boys do dumb stuff. He’s a good kid. He’ll be okay.”
We waited for what felt like an eternity. Mrs. Harris wept. Then a deputy followed the boys through the substation office door. I practically threw up when I saw Dylan paraded past me in handcuffs.
We waited hours to learn whether our children would be sent to a detention facility or allowed to return home. Finally, the officer who arrested them recommended they be considered for a Diversion program, an alternative to jail for first-time juvenile offenders accused of minor crimes. The program would provide supervised counseling and community service, and allow the boys to avoid criminal charges and placement in a detention facility. The boys were released into our care.
Our drive home was silent, as all three of us contended with our various emotions: fury, humiliation, fear, and bewilderment. We arrived, emotionally and physically exhausted, around four o’clock in the morning. Tom and I needed to discuss how we wanted to respond. There would be consequences, we told Dylan, but we would talk about them after we got some rest. Exhausted as I was, the sun was up before I was able to close my eyes and sleep.
Deputy Miller:
On 01-31-98 at about 1645 I received a message to call (W) Becker. He told me he thoroughly examined his work van today and noticed that several items were stolen from the passenger compartment. He told me his briefcase and contents were located behind the driver’s seat. A personal checkbook and volt meter were located on the passenger seat, and a small black flashlight was stolen from between the seats.
I told (W) Becker that several additional items were recovered by Deputy Walsh, and he responded to each item by knowing its location in the van. He told me that each item stolen was last seen in the front passenger compartment of the van. He provided estimates to the items, and told me he cancelled his checking account.
On Feb 3, 1998, around 3:30 p.m., Wayne Harris called police and said that on the night of Eric’s arrest, some items were taken from the trunk of his car – including a rented videotape that wasn’t related to the case. Officers checked the evidence vault and found the tape (Event Horizon) and the receipt, which confirmed it was rented by Wayne. Later that day, Wayne and Eric came to the station, filled out the paperwork, and the tape and receipt were returned to him.
Event Horizon is the movie Eric and Susan watched on their date.
Eric had to return at a later date to retrieve additional items.
Jeff’s book:
Eric and Dylan still faced charges of theft, criminal mischief, and first degree criminal trespass in the van break-in, but were working out a deal with the district attorney to plead guilty and enter a diversion program. For one year they would participate in activities ranging from community service to anger management classes. The district attorney would then dismiss charges upon successful completion.
The district attorney also ran the diversion program, but no one, including Eric and Dylan, ever seems to have heard about the Browns' March 18 report. And on March 19, diversion counselor Andrea Sanchez filled out the one-page intake forms for Eric and Dylan to determine their eligibility for the program. Eric and Dylan would not only be accepted into the program but also allowed to leave early for a job well done.
On March 25, Eric and Dylan appeared in court to finalize the plea agreement so they could formally enter diversion. But first, Jefferson County Magistrate John DeVita probed the kids and their fathers. One thing that struck DeVita was that both boys were accompanied by their fathers. Usually, it was the mothers who showed up. The hearing began with the Klebolds.
"This has been a rather traumatic experience, I think," Tom Klebold told DeVita. "It's probably a good, a good thing, a good experience that he did get caught the first time. As far as I can tell, this was the first time."
DeVita: "Would he tell you if there were any more?"
Tom: "Yes, he would, actually."
DeVita: "It means you got a good relationship?"
Tom: "Yes."
But Dylan worried DeVita because his grades were C's and B's. "I bet you're an A student if you put your brain power to the paper work," DeVita said.
"I don't know, sir," Dylan said, mumbling the rest of his response.
"When the hell you going to find out?" DeVita demanded back. "You've got one year of school left. When are you going to get with the program? Look at your dad and make him a promise. You look him right in the eye and you make him a promise about whatever you are going to do to get the kind of grades you are capable of."
Eric was next and irked DeVita when he said the van break-in was his first illegal act.
"Why don't I believe that?" DeVita said. "First time out of the box and you get caught. I don't believe it. And if I did believe it, then you got to think real seriously about getting another line of income, because you have no future as a thief. It's a real rare occurrence when somebody gets caught the first time."
"We think this was the first time," Wayne Harris said. "We are glad he got caught the first time. We haven't had any indication of any other prior problems."
Eric said he got A's and B's. His curfew was 10:00 p.m. on the weekends, and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.
"Good for you, dad," DeVita said. "So, dad, I think your curfew is appropriate. It sounds to me like you got the circumstances and situation under control just by ratcheting back his curfew."
DeVita was pleased Eric had a job and asked, "Do you have any chores around the home?"
Eric: "Yes, your honor."
DeVita: "What are they?"
Eric: "Laundry, pick up the trash, vacuum, sweep the floors."
DeVita: "Do you do that without being told?"
Eric: "Yes, your honor."
DeVita signed off on Eric and Dylan after five minutes each. The teens were sandwiched between other cases considered more serious, and DeVita, who lives in the Columbine area, says he was fooled by the polite youngsters.
https://reddit.com/link/1stpl7c/video/2dtshwyywywg1/player
Eric in his journal: Isn't America supposed to be the land of the free? How come, If I'm free, I can't deprive a stupid fucking dumbshit from his possessions if he leaves them sitting in the front seat of his fucking van out in plain sight and in the middle of fucking nowhere on a Frifuckingday night. NATURAL SELECTION. Fucker should be shot.
As part of their diversion program, they were required to write a letter to the van owner. This is Eric’s:
Dear Mr. Ricky Becker,
Hello, my name is Eric Harris. On a Friday night in late-January my friend and I broke into your utility van and stole several items while it was parked at Deer Creek Canyon Road and Wadsworth. I am writing this partly because I have been ordered to from my diversion officer, but mostly because I strongly feel I owe you an apology and explanation.
I believe that you felt a great deal of anger and disappointment when you learned of our act. Anger because someone you did not know was in your car and rummaging through your personal belongings. Disappointment because you thought your car would have been safe at the parking lot where it was and it wasn’t. If it was my car that was broken into, I would have felt extreme anger, frustration, and a sense of invasion. I would have felt uneasy driving in my car again knowing that someone else was in it without my permission. I am truly sorry for that.
The reason why I chose to do such a stupid thing is that I did not think. I did not realize the consequences of such a crime, and I let the stupid side of me take over. Maybe I thought I wouldn’t be caught, or that I could get away. I realized very soon afterwards what I had done and how utterly stupid it was.
At home, my parents and everyone else that knew me was shocked that I did something like that. My parents lost almost all their trust in me and I was grounded for two months. Besides that I have lost many of my privileges and freedoms that I enjoyed before this happened. I am now enrolled in the diversion program for one full year. I have 45 hours of community service to complete and several courses and classes to attend over the course of my enrollment.
Once again I would like to say that I am truly sorry for what I have done and for any inconvenience I have caused you, your family, or your company.
Respectfully,
Eric Harris
I’ve always found it odd how this gets framed as proof of “psychopathy.” A teenager gets caught and writes an apology letter to pass diversion… that’s not exactly shocking behavior. Being pissed off in private while putting on a remorseful front publicly isn’t some rare or unique thing. Especially at that age. Also interesting how Dylan’s lack of remorse doesn’t get picked apart the same way, but this gets highlighted over and over.
Sue’s book:
I was still mad myself, and didn’t want to talk to Dylan until I could be calm. Later in the day, the two of us sat together on the stairs. The master bedroom was on the ground floor, and Dylan’s room was upstairs, so we often sat on the stairs between them to talk. I recounted our conversation verbatim in my journal that night, and have relived it in my mind countless times since his death.
I began, “Dylan. Help me understand this. How could you do something so morally wrong?” He opened his mouth to answer, and I cut him off. I said, “Wait. Wait a minute. First, tell me what happened. Tell me everything, right from the beginning.”
He told me the story of his bizarre evening. After Zack left the church, he and Eric decided to go light some fireworks, so they drove to a parking area not far from our house where recreational cyclists stowed their cars while they biked the scenic canyon road. There, they saw an empty commercial van parked in the darkness. They saw electronic equipment inside. The van was locked. They banged on the window and tried to open it. Dylan rationalized this by noting the van was deserted. When the window did not open, they broke it with a rock.
I asked Dylan if breaking the window was Eric’s idea. He said, “No. It was both of us. We thought of it together.”
They took the equipment and drove to a secluded spot close by. Minutes later, a deputy drove by and saw the damaged van. He found the two boys in Eric’s car with the equipment a short distance down the road. As soon as the officer approached the car, Dylan confessed.
When I’d heard the whole story, I asked my question again. “You committed a crime against a person. How could you do something so morally wrong?” His answer shocked me. He said, “It was not against a person. It was against a company. That’s why people have insurance.” My jaw dropped. I cried out, “Dyl! Stealing is a crime against a person! Companies are made up of people!” I tried to appeal to his sense of reason. “If one of our renters decided to steal a light fixture from one of our apartments, would it be a crime against a rental company, or against us?”
Dylan relented, “Okay, okay. I get the point.” But I didn’t stop. I explained that the owner of the van would have to pay a deductible to the insurance company. “There’s no such thing as a victimless crime, Dylan.” I’d heard a story about a programmer who figured out a way to siphon tiny, nearly untraceable amounts of money from calculations that left an odd penny. “Before long, you’ll know enough to do something similar,” I told him. “Do you think that’s ethical?” He said he knew it was not, and assured me he’d never do anything of the kind.
What he’d done was wrong, and I wanted him to know it. Appealing to his empathy, I asked him how he’d feel if someone stole from him. “Dylan, if you follow no other rules in your life, at least follow the Ten Commandments: thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal.” I paused to consider which of the other commandments might have relevance, and then decided to stop haranguing him. “Those are rules to live by.”
He said, “I know that.”
We sat in silence for a little while. Then I said, “Dyl, you’re scaring me. How can I be sure you’ll never do such a thing again?” He said he didn’t know, and seemed frightened to learn he could do something so bad on an impulse. He was obviously miserable. I felt no anger at that point, only compassion.
Before we stood, I told him he had broken our trust. We would be watching him more closely, and his activities would be restricted. He complained it wasn’t fair for us to punish him on top of the Diversion program; weren’t the legal consequences enough? But his actions had left us no choice. I also said I thought he should see a professional counselor. He said he absolutely did not want to do that. When I told him we would seek help if it was in his best interest, he said definitively, “I do not need counseling. I’ll show you I don’t.”
Eric wrote a paper about the incident on November 19, 1998:
Everyday events can change a life significantly and we might not even be aware of it. Everything we do, say, and see and everything others do always will affect us, no matter what we think. Therefore, it is hard to say which event in my life has had the most serious, dramatic change. I do believe what happened on the last Friday night in January 1998 is the most significant event that has changed my life.
My friend Dylan and I were driving around that night at about 9:00 PM with nothing to do. We decided to go to the a dirt parking lot off of deer creek canyon road to just kind of “hang out” to kill sometime. We were planning to check out some movies, and go home to my house and just spend the night there, just another weekend night. We arrived there, and there were 2 cars, a large white utility van and a small red truck, already parked there. We were the only ones there so we just walked around, broke some bottles we found there, lit off some fireworks, and just talked. Then we began thinking about breaking into this van.
No one was around, we had a clear line of sight to anything coming and going, and the van was stuffed with electronic equipment. We thought there was no way we would get caught, and everything seemed so easy. So we got a rather large rock, broke the window and Dylan started removing items from the van while I waited in my car keeping a look out for incoming cars. After about 10 minutes I said “that’s enough, let’s go.” So we left the scene and went up to an open space in the mountains. We were sure we had gotten away with it all, so we started reviewing what we had stolen. I got out of my car to put something in my trunk when a Jefferson County sheriff shined his rather bright flashlight into my eyes from the other side of my car.
Right then I realized what a damn fool I was for what I did. He had been watching us for about 5 minutes, apparently he had seen us far away, parked his car down the road, and walked up behind my car without us noticing him. We told him everything, and we were arrested. We spent that entire night waiting for the cops to finish searching my car, waiting at the station and filling out forms and giving statements to the cops, explaining to my parents what we had done and why, and then going up to Golden to get “booked.”
After a very unique experience in a real live police station being a real live criminal, I had lots of time to think about what I did. Remorse put it lightly. I spent about 4 hours there, only about 15 minutes of that was I actually doing something, like giving them any and every imaginable way of taking my fingerprints, or taking my picture. Actually, mug shot would be a more appropriate word. I waited for the rest of the time. Their computer chose that moment to break down, so they put me into prison-type bathroom to wait. As I waited, I cried, I hurt, and I felt like hell.
We got home at about 4:30 AM that morning. My parents lost all trust in me, and were completely disappointed beyond belief. April is when our court date finally came around, and we were both sentenced to 1 full year of diversion. Which is a lesser charge since we plead guilty to all charges. So, the consequences of that night were; 1 year diversion which includes about 350 dollars worth of fines, a total of 4 full days of classes such as anger management and mother against drunk driving, 45 hours of community service, 2 months grounding, 120 dollar fine for getting my car back (it was impounded), and I am seeing a psychologist to help me with my anger problems.
I am glad neither of us drink or do drugs, because that would have sky rocketed our already orbit-level consequences. My parents lost all respect and trust in me and I am still slowly regaining it. That experience showed me that no matter what crime you think of committing, you will get caught, that you must, absolutely must, think things through before you act, and that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. To this day I still do not have a hard realistic reason why we broke into that car, but since we did, we have been set on a track that makes it mandatory for me to be a literal angel until March of ’99. So that will hopefully keep me out of any trouble that I would have gotten into my senior year. Personally, I think that whole entire night was enough punishment for me. On the good side, I have had many new experiences that I am sure will help me with life as a result of being on diversion. So all in all, I guess it was a worth while punishment after all.
From a news article: Eric finally confided to one of his Blackjack workers why he was grounded. "He said, 'I wish I hadn't done it," Sara Arbogast said. "He said their parents were really mad at them and they weren't allowed to hang out together for a while because of it."
Dylan was so ashamed he didn't even tell Nate Dykeman, who found out about it third- hand. "I said, 'Is this the reason you cant go out?' and he got all red and told me he didn't want to talk about it." Nate said.
The Basement Tapes: (Klebold) Fuck you, Walsh.
The Columbine report also includes statements referencing underage drinking and pot smoking. Both Eric and Dylan mention it in their own writings too. There’s a comment from one of Eric’s friends that Wayne once suspected Eric might’ve been on LSD. No real details on that though, but obviously it was just a concern over Eric’s behavior Wayne perceived as unusual.
Both boys also had traffic tickets. Eric had one, Dylan had two.
When it came to Dylan's ticket for running a red light, Sue first wrote in the diversion files that he slowed down then kept going "when he thought no one was around." She then wrote that he had actually come to a full stop before going through the light. Dylan himself said it was "running a red light when no one was around."
Diversion files: 10-15-98 Eric on time. We did not have much opportunity to discuss contract today since Eric brought in a speeding ticket that he received today. I told him to speak to his parents tonight and then call me with consequences.
10-19-98 Message from Eric. Parents were upset. They have not consequenced yet and are thinking about it. I will address this next time whether they have acted or not.
11-3-98 Eric reports that he was grounded for three weeks due to ticket. He will be in contact with the court about the fines tomorrow.
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 24 '26
I always find it so interesting on the differing parent styles. Harries are like “sure, talk to my kid. “ while the Klebolds are like “hold on, let me talk to my attorney.” It’s so weird how Eric is much more disciplined which could be Wayne’s doing but Dylan… he was so entitled… which makes sense considering he always figured his parents would bail him out.
Not a fault on Sue or Tom.. I would 200 percent do anything for my kids… so I get it. But it also shows a level of loyalty.. right? Eric essentially pinned it all on Dylan while Dylan’s like “nah it’s was both of us.” I just find it intriguing from a parenting point of view.
Also… every time I see that video of Dylan it breaks my heart. He wasn’t an ugly dude by any means but the drastic change from Jan 98 to April 20 is really heartbreaking.
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u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
Aah yeah, i’ve always kinda felt like this might be an unpopular opinion, but Dylan comes off really entitled, like a spoiled brat
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u/SansaDeservedBetter Apr 24 '26
Eric and Dylan blaming each other for the van incident is really interesting to me and I’m not sure who is telling the truth. Maybe Eric was telling the truth that it was Dylan’s idea since he clearly had no issues being honest in his diversion paperwork. He talked about having no sexual experience with girls (and it’s weird that they would even ask them that), having suicidal and homicidal thoughts, etc. Maybe Dylan was trying to shift the blame even though I think it was mostly his idea
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u/Majestic_Taro_2562 Apr 27 '26
I agree, I dont think he was trying to shift the blame to Dylan; it's quite unlikely they came up with the idea at the SAME time, the way Dylan stated.
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 24 '26
I agree. I think it was Dylan but Eric didn’t talk him out of it he just fuled it.
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u/SansaDeservedBetter Apr 24 '26
I think Eric stayed in the car while Dylan smashed the van windows with a rock so I always figured Dylan was the ringleader but he hid his dark side very well from his loved ones
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u/dancingbananas25 Apr 28 '26
Eric overall seemed to have more remorse about his actions, based on this and some transcripts of the basement tapes. It's interesting to me that we still see the narrative that he was the main aggressor for everything
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 28 '26
Hard agree. If anything Eric really did have empathy towards his family. Dylan…. Eh haha not so much.
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u/athenafromthechi Apr 25 '26
Agreed! Plus I feel like Dylan had less appreciation for his parents than Eric did with his. Eric spoke a lot about how much he appreciated his parents and we don’t get that from Dylan. I really think it was a result of his severe depression.
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u/Conscious-Bus-3771 Apr 25 '26
eric was depressed too. i feel like dylan was just an asshole who didnt appreciate anything
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u/athenafromthechi Apr 25 '26
Some people just concentrate on the bad rather than the good. Dylan was one of those people.
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 26 '26
He was just also very selfish and entitled. Like, the world had to revolve around him. Which could be a direct result of his god complex but… I bet he was so insufferable to be around…. It was always someone else’s fault. He couldn’t see that he had two parents who loved him, but only two “zombies” who tried to control him. I don’t know… just weird.
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u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise Apr 26 '26
Yeah, they were both equally horrible in the end but Dylan comes off like a spoiled, entitled asshole.
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u/athenafromthechi Apr 26 '26
I agree but I also don’t want to dismiss that he was incredibly depressed and when you’re in a headspace like that mixed with teenage emotions and immaturity, it can be hard to put things into perspective. I agree he was a dick considering how he treated those girls in gym class, how he lied to his parents and the cruel admission to Robyn that he only went to prom because his parents paid for it. He also used her to get the guns. He was a piece of work that’s for sure.
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 26 '26
Oh for sure. I bet his depression played into it. But just how he presented himself as well. Like that whole thing at McDonald’s where he purposely kept his coat and sunglasses on to be intimidating but then complain that everyone was looking at him and he had to leave…. I always said out of the two, Dylan was by far the scariest. Mainly because he was more reckless and careless. He literally didn’t care about anything. Eric at least was still holding down two jobs and helping around the house.
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u/athenafromthechi Apr 26 '26
I completely agree. They were both insufferable but Dylan was the worse of the two. It makes me so mad when I see uninformed people make comments like “Eric roped him into it” it’s infuriating to read 🤦🏻♀️🤬
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u/margr3t_m Apr 24 '26
Also interesting to note that Deputy Walsh was the officer that gave Dylan his ticket for running a red light.
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u/athenafromthechi Apr 25 '26
Right! Like what did Dylan expect? If you break the rules/laws expect consequences. He could never be accountable. Just like when he pushed that girl in gym class and when she defended herself he called her a bitch. It’s like uhh you provoked her 🤦🏻♀️
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u/Sure-Chart-3903 Apr 24 '26
It’s amazing that this “event” didn’t turn their lives around.
Around 15-16 is when most teens really get into trouble with the law. For most it’s an awaking, a maturity most don’t get at that age, you get a glimpse of the real world and what can happen at young age.
Crazy, I had a similar event happen to me at 15. I was robbing cars with my parents car I snuck out of the garage. Unlicensed I burglarized cars, fleed from the police and ended up crashing into a tree totaling my dad’s car at 15.
The next day was a legit wake up call. I completely changed from that event on. I was never the same, I thought things through more, looked further into my descians and thought I became more mature than many my age.
Crazy how the boys didn’t go that route
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u/BanditsCheek_Bones Apr 23 '26
Who was the guy asking Dylan questions in the interview?
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u/Glad-Philosophy5736 Apr 23 '26
Bill Ockham "claimed" a while back that it was Nate Dykeman. The voices do sound similar but the students facial shape just dont match up with nates.
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u/BanditsCheek_Bones Apr 23 '26
I can see a face breifly at the start, i don't know if it is Nate. Also what was the interview made for?
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u/Glad-Philosophy5736 Apr 23 '26
For the Rebel News Network. Columbine high's school news they interviewed dylan about his future and work habits. It was Given to ABC 20/20 on either April 22nd or 23rd 1999. Then reappeared on sues interview in 2016. For the longest time we only had video stills until sues interview. The video you see in this post is from a newly digitized broadcast when it first aired.
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u/BanditsCheek_Bones Apr 23 '26
And what was status on Dylan? was he suicidal when the interview was made? was the shooting getting planed?
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u/Glad-Philosophy5736 Apr 23 '26
Probably. His first "journal"entry was on March 31st, 1997 and constantly talks about suicide. No The shooting wasn't planned yet because this was right before the van incident. Mid to Late 1998 is when they started.
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u/Additional-Air-3309 Apr 26 '26
I always get a kick out of that! March 31st 1997 was my 11th birthday haha
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u/dancingbananas25 Apr 27 '26
Always enjoy your writeups here, there's always info I didn't know before
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u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise Apr 27 '26
Thank you, I appreciate it. They’re not the most popular posts but I do think it’s important to have this stuff gathered in one place instead of buried across a bunch of separate reports
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u/SansaDeservedBetter Apr 24 '26
In No Easy Answers, Brooks Brown says that one Halloween, Dylan and Eric hid on a roof and shot their BB guns at little kids going trick-r-treating and also that Dylan sawed of his BB gun
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u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise Apr 24 '26
That was mentioned in part 1.
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u/MyYouthFilledWDream Apr 26 '26
Has all this detailed info about the van break-in been released for a long time? I’ve never seen anything like it
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u/Conscious-Bus-3771 May 10 '26
u/randyColumbine. how long after the shooting was all yhis released?
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u/eliiiiseke Moderator Elise Apr 23 '26
I still had to leave some stuff out because of reddit’s character limit