Time Machine: 30 years ago, alleged hitman dies of heart attack during apparent assassination attempt in Edwards
Vail Trail/Vail Daily archive
30 years ago
Oct. 21, 1994
Eagle County Sheriff A.J. Johnson said five weeks into an investigation surrounding the attempted murder of an Edwards woman, he wasn’t sure if any charges would be filed.
The case involved retired Chicago police officer Arthur R. Smith, 56, who died of a heart attack while apparently attempting to kill Edwards resident Rita Quam on Sept. 11, 1994. Smith was accused of being a hitman; he was wearing a fake mustache, a wig, dark sunglasses and a baseball cap during the attack, the Vail Trail reported.
“Sheriffs deputies responded to reports of a man beating a woman with a rock near the plaza on Highway 6 at 9:45 p.m,” the Trail reported. “When they arrived, deputies saw Smith strike Quam in the head several times with a large stone. Investigators reported Smith began the attack by firing several shots at Quam but, after his gun jammed, he resorted to using rocks. When they told him to stop, Smith began to comply, but he collapsed.”
The Vail Trail became involved in the case when a man who identified himself as Don Dibble, a Las Vegas private investigator working for Rita Quam’s ex-husband Robert Quam, called the Trail office looking for information.
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“Dibble said the Quams were divorced a year ago,” the Trail reported. “He said reporters speculated Robert Quam is a suspect because his alimony payments to Rita Quam approach $300,000 a year.”
But Johnson said Robert Quam claims his ex-wife and Smith were lovers, had known each other for 15 years prior to the attack, and the incident was a crime of passion.
“No suspects have been clearly identified in the case,” Johnson said.
40 years ago
Oct. 26, 1984
Vail Mountain considered moving up its planned Opening Day after numerous snowstorms brought deep-snow conditions to the mountains.
Quoting Larry Lichliter, Vail Associates’ senior vice president, the Trail reported that the mountain had already began packing down the 3 to 4 feet of snow the mountain had received.
“At the present time the lower part of the mountain requires a lot more snow, and we’re in the process of snowmaking,” Lichliter said. “If we don’t get a warming trend, a return of our usual Indian summer, and if we get some more snow, we’ll probably be able to open a few days early.”
Lichliter said two more feet of snow on the two mountains would be enough to convince him to open Nov. 17, the Trail reported.
60 years ago
Oct. 22, 1964
Walter Lasitoo of the Zuni Pueblo Tribe was killed by the rear propeller of a helicopter at the Eagle County Airport while on a mission to help with wildland firefighting efforts in Eagle County.
Lasitoo was one of 50 members of the Zuni Pueblo Tribe who was flown into Eagle County “detailed to a fire mop-up job on South Derby Creek,” the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
The fire had broken out earlier that week and burned 30 acres of open timber before crews got it under control, the Enterprise reported.
It was one of “at least 12 or more fires on the White River National Forest during this hunting season,” the Enterprise reported.
70 years ago
Oct. 21, 1954
Two men were dead and one injured during the first two days of hunting season in the Eagle County area, the Eagle Valley Enterprise reported.
Jess G. Hamlin of Boulder died of a heart attack near his camp on the Flat Tops while Vernon Taylor of Denver was killed when a bullet, fired by an unidentified hunter, “plowed through an 18-inch log before piercing Taylor in the left chest,” the Enterprise reported. “Taylor was seated on the log in a clearing five miles west of Deep Lake when the shooting occurred.”
William Francis Anderson of Denver was mistaken for a deer and shot while hunting in the Fulford area, the Enterprise reported. He was wounded and taken to the Glenwood hospital before being transferred to Denver, the Enterprise reported.
120 years ago
Oct. 20, 1904
A man named Emille Thomas died after being found alongside the railroad tracks near Red Cliff on two consecutive mornings, the Eagle County Blade reported.
Thomas was “nearly overcome by drink,” the Blade reported, but was taken into the jail, nursed back to health and released after the first night.
The next morning, the crew of a light engine found Thomas again lying helpless beside the railroad tracks.
“He had evidently laid out again all night, and the night had been quite cold with a slight fall of snow,” the Blade reported. “The authorities again took charge of him and made him comfortable and provided him with a nurse. But all attempts at resuscitating him a second time proved unavailing and about midnight on Sunday he died.
“Thomas was a Frenchman by birth and had lately been employed on the railroad section at Pando,” the Blade added. “He was about 62 years of age and little is known here concerning him.”
Check out John LaConte’s column “Freaks and slaughter” for more on this week’s Time Machine and others.
