On a tragic evening in Aurora, Colorado, that would leave an indelible mark on the community, 50-year-old Marge Kohlberg was killed during a robbery at the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant where she worked as the assistant manager. The events unfolded on December 14, 1993, when a former employee, 19-year-old Nathan Dunlap, sought revenge for his recent termination. Dunlap entered the restaurant, ate a sandwich, and played an arcade game before hiding in the restroom until closing time.
After the last customers had departed, Dunlap emerged from his hiding place and began a violent rampage. He systematically shot five employees, four of whom fatally. His victims, in addition to Kohlberg, were Sylvia Crowell, 19; Ben Grant, 17; and Colleen O'Connor, 17. A fifth employee, Bobby Stephens, 20, was shot in the jaw but managed to survive by playing dead.
Dunlap then proceeded to the manager's office where he found Kohlberg counting the day's receipts. He forced her to open the restaurant's safe. After she complied, he shot her. Noticing she was still moving, he fired a second, fatal shot. Dunlap then fled the scene with over $1,500 in cash and game tokens.
The sole survivor, Bobby Stephens, was able to escape and alert authorities. Law enforcement apprehended Nathan Dunlap at his mother's apartment just twelve hours after the horrific events. In 1996, Dunlap was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, and burglary. He was subsequently sentenced to death. After years of appeals, his sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2020 when Colorado abolished the death penalty.
