In the quiet town of Lamar, Colorado, the summer of 1991 was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the life of 51-year-old Darlene Mae Groomer Culberth, a White female, and her husband. The tragic event unfolded on August 1st at the local VFW Lodge, a place of community and camaraderie, where both Darlene and her 70-year-old husband, Robert 'Curley' Culberth, were employed.
On that fateful afternoon, the couple was preparing to open the establishment for the day when they were both fatally shot.
The discovery was made when a patron, arriving for the VFW's scheduled opening, found the doors locked. Peering through a window, she made a grim discovery: Darlene was slumped over behind the bar. Investigators determined that Darlene had been shot in the head and abdomen. The motive appeared to be a robbery that had escalated into a double homicide, with an estimated $700 to $1,100 stolen from the premises. Evidence suggested the alarm system had been disabled shortly after the Culberths arrived for their shift.
Despite the initial shock and a thorough investigation by the Prowers County Sheriff's Office, the case grew cold over the years, leaving a cloud of unanswered questions over the small community. At one point, an individual was arrested in connection with the murders but was later released without any charges being filed. For decades, the double homicide remained a painful, unsolved chapter in the town's history.
In 2019, a glimmer of hope emerged when the case was featured on the television series 'Cold Justice.' The show's team of investigators re-examined the evidence and interviewed witnesses, which reportedly generated some new leads. This information was subsequently turned over to the District Attorney's office. However, to this day, no one has been formally charged or convicted for the murders of Darlene and Robert Culberth, and their case remains an open and unsolved homicide.
