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| Colorado Prison Officer Laid to Rest |
| By Denver Post |
| Published: 10/25/2002 |
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Eric Autobee knew his job as a state prison officer was dangerous. He knew the people he watched over were some of the most despicable in the state. Yet every day, Autobee donned his sergeant's uniform and 'went to work with some of the most horrible people,' Autobee's girlfriend, Michelle Mojica, said Wednesday during his funeral service. 'He said they were human beings, and that's how he treated them. He was so proud of his position with the Department of Corrections.' Autobee, 23, was killed last week by a convicted killer wielding a 4 1/2-foot-long metal ladle in the kitchen of the Limon Correctional Facility. Autobee was the first prison employee to be killed inside a Colorado prison since 1929. Inmate Edward Montour Jr. told investigators he feared people might label him a snitch after officers found his shank on another inmate, according to court documents. Montour said he felt he had to kill an officer to be transferred to another facility, an arrest affidavit states. On Wednesday, more than 1,000 people gathered in Autobee's boyhood church in Pueblo to remember and celebrate his life and try to understand how such a sensitive, sensible man could be the victim of such a senseless act. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens attended, as did Department of Corrections Director Joe Ortiz, about 250 employees from the Limon prison and countless other law officers from agencies across the state. And, there were friends and family. Together, they provided a rich portrait of the depth of Autobee's life. 'His life, though very short and very brief, was certainly not a waste,' the Rev. Maurice Gallagher said during his sermon. 'He is still with us in many ways. He is with us in memory. His life was short, but it was meaningful. And so, as we say goodbye to him, we do so with the understanding that his life was a life of serving, of love, of goodness.' Ortiz said Autobee died a hero in the service of the state. 'It's the worst thing we can do, to forget Eric,' Ortiz said. 'He was one among us who sacrificed all. I ask our Colorado Department of Corrections staff to carry his name forward and to look for him in all that we do.' |
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