Everett Stadig, personhood activist and a member of Colorado Right To Life, was assaulted in the line of duty (while collecting pro-life signatures) and when the police DNA tested the suspect, the found out that William Costello was a criminal wanted for serial rape of three women, ages 13, 22, and 49, from 2008 to 2011.
Attack on Pro-Lifer Leads to the Arrest of a Serial Rapist
Watch Out for this Man, on the Loose, Rapist William Costello
Costello has ties to leading Democrats up to the Lamm family
District Attorney gives Costello only second-degree charge for assault of pro-lifer
Update: Westward's Michael Roberts has reported that the DA's office spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough has stated that "two other people came forward with information" bring the number, in addition to the previously reported serial rapes, to five separate crimes, apparently in addition to the assault on Stadig. Halfway through Roberts report, he has a floating reference, "In the wake of Costello's arrest..." But what arrest? As the Denver media has generally underreported and misreported the assault on Everett that led to Costello's arrest and becoming a suspect as a serial rapist, Roberts doesn't even tell his readers what the arrest was for, nor about the sixth victim, an at-risk adult who suffered a broken hip at Costello's hands.
Update: Apparently, on Aug. 11, 2012, the D.A. charged the perpetrator with only second-degree assault after only talking to the offender, whereas his office had not even talked to the pro-life victim, Mr. Stadig, who did not get to speak with the D.A.s office until Sept. 18.
Everett Stadig, long-time Mt. Rushmore employee, is an active Christian pro-lifer and an Abe Lincoln look alike. On June 30, 2012 during the final push to gather signatures for Colorado’s Personhood amendment, 69-year-old Stadig was collecting signatures in front of the Stapleton King Soopers grocery store when he was attacked and thrown off his bike to the ground by a man who became enraged because Everett was asking for signatures "to protect unborn children." A witness who saw the attack recorded the assailant’s license plate number and gave it to the police. Everett was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a broken hip.
In the following weeks, Mr. Stadig, concerned that the crime against him was not being investigated, enlisted the help of other pro-lifers and two volunteer attorneys to pressure the Denver police department to investigate the crime. Yet it turns out that the police were pursuing the matter, and eventually brought assault and rape charges agaisnt the perpetrator, a successful Denver businessman.
In August, William Costello was arrested for the attack on Everett Stadig. “Katie’s Law” allows law enforcement to procure DNA samples after a felony arrest. That DNA linked William Costello to three rapes for which he was charged on November 16, 2012.
Regarding the charge against Costello for the assault on Stadig, "It's rather shocking," said Denver pastor and radio host Bob Enyart:
The police gave Costello a charge of only second-degree assault when Everett, a 69-year-old man, was attacked while straddling his bicycle and asking for signatures on his personhood petition. To add insult to injury, the D.A.'s office didn't even speak to the victim until September 18th, whereas they entered the mere second-degree charge on August 11th, after talking only to the perpetrator and not the victim. In addition to Everett, at least one witness, and perhaps others, spoke with police. The perpetrator, now known to be a pro-abortion Democrat with ties to high-profile governing officials including a former governor, was angry that Everett was a pro-lifer. Costello at first walked away toward his vehicle, then returned, and assaulted Everett by throwing him to the ground. The force of the impact broke Everett's hip. This is a first-degree assault on an at-risk adult and the Denver D.A. Mitchell Morrissey should upgrade this charge against this out-of-control and dangerous offender.