Niwot grad and daughter victims of murder-suicide

Boulder County Sheriff's officers assigned to Niwot's Rock & Rails concert series did not show up July 28, and concert managers later received a message that the officers had been deployed to Erie as part of a SWAT team response.

By Friday, Niwot residents learned the tragic news that the Erie response was connected to a murder-suicide that shook not only Loveland and Erie, but the Niwot community as well.

Lindsay E. Daum and her daughter, 16-year old Meadow Sinner, were murdered in their Loveland home the afternoon of July 28, victims of domestic violence at the hands of Javier Acevedo, who later that day took his own life after fleeing the scene to a home in Erie.

Daum, age 41, grew up in Niwot, the daughter of the late Gary Daum, a long-time teacher and wrestling coach at Niwot High, and Crystal Daum, who continues to reside in Niwot.

Lindsay Daum was the mother of five children, ranging in age from two to 16. Acevedo was the father of her two youngest children, ages two and five, while Meadow Sinner and two younger siblings, ages 12 and 14, were children of Daum's former husband, Jay Sinner, who also grew up in Niwot.

The Larimer County Coroner's office confirmed the identities of the two victims on Aug. 1, listing the cause of death as "multiple gunshot wounds," and the manner of death as homicide.

Court records and social media messages reflect a recent history of threats of violence, protection orders, sexual assault charges against Acevedo, and a civil lawsuit filed by Acevedo against Daum.

According to allegations in a civil lawsuit filed by Acevedo against Daum on Jan. 20, 2022, Acevedo and Daum began dating in 2014, and began living together on Hawthorne Street in 2016. Acevedo claimed in the lawsuit that the home was purchased in Daum's name due to his 2016 bankruptcy, and that Daum agreed that if he paid the mortgage and the home were later sold, the proceeds would be divided equally.

Acevedo further claimed that the Hawthorne Street home was sold in 2018 and the proceeds were used to purchase a home on Pavo Court in Loveland which was also titled solely in Daum's name. The complaint indicated that the parties moved to the Pavo Court home, and that Acevedo made more than half of the mortgage payments, again claiming an oral agreement that he and Daum would own the home equally. Acevedo also claimed that in September 2021, Daum advised Acevedo that only she had an ownership interest in the Pavo Court home.

The complaint also included an ominous statement by Acevedo, "In July of 2021, an emotionally-charged disagreement caused Mr. Acevedo to move to Fort Lupton, Colorado." Daum's attorneys filed an answer to the complaint, which acknowledged that "it was approximately July 2021 when [Acevedo] moved to Fort Lupton, Colorado." Her answer denied that there was an agreement about co-ownership of the properties, and characterized Acevedo's payments as rent pursuant to an oral agreement to lease space in the Pavo Court house to him.

Court records show that on Sept. 1, 2021, Daum sought a Protection Order-Domestic Abuse against Acevedo, listing herself and her four oldest children as Plaintiffs and Protected Parties. On Sept. 14, 2021, Acevedo filed a petition for allocation of parental responsibilities (APR) case in Larimer County District Court naming Daum as the respondent.

On Oct. 1, 2021, a criminal complaint was filed against Acevedo, and he posted a bond of $100,000 on Nov. 7, 2021. Court records list the type of case as "Sex Offenses" and the court issued a Mandatory Protection Order on Nov. 4, listing Meadow Sinner and her 14-year-old sister as Protected Parties. Acevedo was ordered to remain 50 yards from the victims' residence and to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.

On April 15, 2022, the court modified the protection order to allow Acevedo to have supervised visits with his two young children once a week at Harmony House. The mission of Harmony House, stated on its website, is "To provide the foundation for sustained recovery from the diseases of drug and alcohol addiction."

Acevedo was set for arraignment in the criminal case, 2021CR001734, on Aug. 2, 2022, after multiple continuances. The bond filed with the court lists the offense as "Distribution of controlled substance to minor child - sched. I or II Barbituates (sic)." Acevedo was represented by the public defender's office in that action.

On June 15, 2022, Daum filed another action seeking a protection order against Acevedo in Larimer County, which is listed as "Domestic Abuse" in court records.

At the same time, Acevedo's civil case against Daum was proceeding. Although Acevedo filed the action without an attorney, he later was represented by a Denver law firm. Depositions of the parties were conducted in June, 2022, and the parties attended a mediation session on July 6, 2022, as ordered by the court, but were unable to reach an agreement.

By July 11, Acevedo's attorneys had withdrawn from the case. Trial was scheduled to begin Aug. 8, but the court vacated the trial date after Acevedo failed to appear for a status conference on July 19.

Acevedo is believed to have made threats on social media against Daum approximately 11 weeks ago under the name of "Linn Daum." The messages included, "This how long you been with Lindsay Daum!" referring to an "In a relationship" post made two years ago by another individual. That message was followed by a message stating, "You f*** around with another mans Wife! When he is gone we are coming for you two F*** heads."

A GoFundMe page has been established by Crystal Daum, mother of Lindsay Daum and grandmother of the children. At press time, over $30,000 had been raised. The page states, "We are raising money to support the family during this unspeakably difficult time. Left behind are four children under the age of 14, who will be taken care of by Lindsay's mom Crystal, who is 72. It'll be a long and challenging road ahead for the family and anything you can do to support is sincerely appreciated. Meadow was only 16 and one of the most beautiful and vibrant souls we have ever met. She was a leader in the Colorado Youth Congress and was working with her peers to improve mental health support in schools."