In the quiet community of Hudson, Colorado, a grim discovery shattered the winter calm in January 2009. Harold 'Hap' Enander, a 69-year-old male, was found deceased in his home alongside his wife, Velva Sue Enander. A concerned neighbor, having not heard from Velva Sue, decided to check on the couple and came upon a disturbing scene, prompting an immediate call to the authorities.
Investigators arriving at the residence on East 144th Avenue found both Harold and his wife had been shot to
death. The Adams County Coroner later confirmed that the cause of death for both individuals was gunshot wounds, with Velva Sue also suffering from blunt force trauma. Initially, authorities assured the public that they did not suspect a murder-suicide, pointing towards a double homicide investigation. The home appeared to have been ransacked, suggesting a possible home invasion, a detail that would later be considered a staged element of the crime.
The investigation into the brutal slayings soon focused on a suspect close to the family. Harold's daughter, Kara Lounsbury, then 31 years old, was arrested in February 2009 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors put forth a narrative of a callous and financially motivated crime, stating that Lounsbury's motive was to claim life insurance money. It was revealed that Lounsbury had a history of anger towards her father. During the trial, prosecutors argued that she fatally shot her sleeping father, then turned the gun on her stepmother, shooting her multiple times and bludgeoning her.
In an attempt to deflect blame, Lounsbury's defense team pointed the finger at her brother, Jared Enander. However, surveillance footage from a camera on Jared's neighboring property captured a vehicle matching Lounsbury's arriving at the victims' home on the night of the murders. After about seven hours of deliberation, a jury found Kara Lounsbury guilty on both counts of first-degree murder in February 2010. Following the verdict, she was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole for the execution-style murders of her father and stepmother.
