When Tom Went West: A Good Life, A Gang Slaying

In the summer of 1993, Tom Hollar lost his life when he was pulled from his car and shot twice. He had been leading a life that emulated Denver’s hip culture at the time. He and his wife, Christina, owned and operated the punk skateboard and clothing/accessories store, iMiJimi on 13th Avenue. His death and his wife’s beating and abduction were random acts of violence that resonate with us even now, as our nation tries to understand the increase in random murders. Tom’s murder and trial coincided with a new era for Denver and the summer of his death was called the Summer of Violence. The roles of Denver’s then mayor, Wellington Webb and its Chief Deputy District Attorney, Craig Silverman, as well as police and media representatives are detailed in the section covering the murder and the trial. Whether you have experienced the loss of a loved one to an act of violence or not, you will more completely understand the extreme situations the families and friends of the victim go through during the legal processes hoping for justice. Now you can read about this pivotal event for the Denver community in the just released book When Tom Went West. Written by Nedra Downing, Tom’s mother (a physician and pharmacist) it chronicles Tom’s life in Michigan and Denver and the details leading to the trial in May and June 1994 of the two perpetrators who were successfully brought to justice. Also included are over 90 photos and dozens of poems written by the author to help her live through the most difficult experience a parent can have.