July 15, 2024 | By: Skylar Catherwood

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

When growing up in Belle Plaine, Minn., David Weierke loved to play and be active outside with his friends and sisters. Very often, the kids would find themselves playing in the junkyard with old tires and rusty cars. Other days they would be fishing in local creeks and rivers or playing softball.  “We didn’t come home till the streetlights came on,” said his sister Margaret.  David enjoyed Karate, playing flag football, wrestling and playing in his junior high band. David was raised by a single mother along with his two sisters, Barb and Margaret. One of their favorite things to do as a family was go to the movies. Their mom liked to sneak candy into the theater to avoid the overpriced snacks at the movies. “David particularly looked forward to the licorice,” According to this mother, Donna.

David had a major sweet tooth; his favorite foods were cake and pancakes. He loved to sit at the table with a stack of pancakes and drench them in syrup. When it came to cake, the more frosting the better.

His favorite animal was an eagle. For his birthday one year, he asked his mom for a pet eagle. His mom bought him a large eagle statue that was bright blue. According to his mother, the most thoughtful gift she ever received from him was a handmade clock. “It still works to this day,” his mom said.

His first job was planting tomato seeds at a nursery with his sister Barb. They worked there together after school. David acted mad that his older sister had copied him on getting his first job. Margaret and Barb, both described him as a “Jack of all trades but a master of few”. Like any young kid, he got in a little trouble here and there. His mom specifically remembers catching David and Barb smoking cigarettes one afternoon. The two had to sit down and smoke a full pack or until they got sick. Barb got sick after one; David on the other hand “blew through them” and “took it like a champ,” Donna said.

As a young adult, David ran into some troubles and decided to move to Denver, Colorado for a fresh start. He began working in a hotel where he put his hospitable personality to use as a room service waiter. After only a few months in the new city, David’s hopes for a fresh start disappeared when he was murdered on his walk home after a night out. His sisters’ and mother’s lives were changed forever.

On November 28, 1993, David was making his way home from a night out at the bars. As he walked down the 2100 block of Larimer St in Denver, Colorado he had an altercation with two individuals. The larger individual was seen by bystanders swinging a knife at David, and David fell to the ground. The two walked away, and David was found by the police with a stab wound. He was rushed to Denver General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. David was just 23 years old. The year 1993 was known as “The Summer of Violence” in Denver because there were several high-profile killings.

His sister Margret received the devastating news from her mother. “The sound she made is something I can never forget,” said Margaret. “I feel cheated at knowing my brother.”

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Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Denver Police Department at (720) 913-2000. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867).

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