One of the most interesting controversies comes from a call made to dispatch by Jefferson County Sheriff's Sergeant Dave Baldwin. Baldwin was involved in the 1998 pipe bomb investigation of Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, and Zach Heckler (yes, Zach was part of that investigation, too).
Baldwin: "Hey what's up, Sergeant Baldwin at dispatch. We need a detention deputy to be sent immediately to R-1 schools to pick up blueprints for Columbine High School."
He is connected via dispatch. Then Baldwin asks Sergeant. Rich Millsapps to pick up the blueprints.
Millsapps: "Sgt. Millsaps."
Baldwin: "Hey Rich, Dave Baldwin."
They talk about the logistics regarding how to get to the school and where to find keys to a patrol car. And then… the controversial statement is made.
Baldwin: "Just so you know, Rich, while you're driving down there, our suspect -- he's supposed to still be in the school shooting people. He's wearing... he's an 18-year-old wearing all black. Uh, that's all we have at this time."
Millsapps: "Is this the sheriff's guy?" / “Is this this Harris guy?” (this is the controversy - people disagree on whether he’s saying “sheriff’s guy” or “Harris guy.”
Baldwin: "Yes."
Millsapps: "Okay."
Baldwin: "Okay."
The controversy stems from the fact that police refer to their informants as “the Sheriff’s guy.”
I personally have seen evidence that Eric Harris was, in fact, some kind of informant (if not literally an informant, then he was working under police direction). Other people have seen this evidence, too. This will be addressed later down the road.
Here’s my hot take:
I used some really high-quality software to clean up the audio a bit, and after slowing it down and listening to it millisecond by millisecond, it’s very clear to me that he’s saying “is this this Harris guy?” I clearly hear two instances of a word ending in “S” that sound identical. “This this (harris guy)” - and not “this the (sheriff’s guy)”
I also was able to discern that there is no “sh” sound. It’s an illusion that comes from the assumption he is saying “sherrif’s guy” but if you listen closely, the “s” sound from the word “this” completely ends before a hard “h” sound begins.
It is “this this har—” and not “this the sher—”
However, I still conclude that Eric Harris was, indeed, a “Sheriff’s guy.” And so was Dylan. And most of the TCM.
Interesting side note: the audio has been scrubbed from all sources, and turned private on YouTube. Google has also de-indexed many web pages that contain references to these two deputies.
Share this post