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Garrison suit settled ahead of civil case

NICOLE FORMOSAsummit daily news

BRECKENRIDGE – The wrongful death lawsuit against Chuck Garrison, who was convicted in 2002 of murdering of his wife, Sharon, has been settled out of court just weeks before a jury was scheduled to begin hearing the case.The civil lawsuit was filed in May 2002 by Sharon’s three daughters, Audra Albright, Lacie Dissler and Jennifer Nevener, who claimed Garrison wrongfully caused the death of their mother in an act that was “intentional, reckless and/or negligent.”The recent settlement, which was drawn up on Jan. 20, arrived before the start of a seven-day jury trial set to begin last week in Summit District Court.Records show the terms of the settlement include any real or personal property titled under Sharon Garrison, her estate, Chuck Garrison, or jointly between the two.The property to be awarded to the plaintiffs includes six Summit County condominiums, a Placer Valley subdivision lot and the Tiger Road property where Sharon’s body was found buried. One exception in the list of items Garrison was allowed to keep is a home in Golden, although the defendant did agree to waive any interest in Sharon’s estate.Frisco lawyer Paul Dunkelman, who represented Sharon’s daughters, said he was extremely satisfied with the settlement. Dunkelman said because of state laws, he could not put a dollar amount on the award.”We reached a property settlement that is very favorable to Sharon’s daughters and Sharon’s family was able to avoid retrying the case, which will hopefully help bring closure to the family,” Dunkelman said.During his murder trial, Chuck Garrison testified that his 49-year-old wife died on Sept. 26, 2000, during a fight that escalated out of control at their home on Tiger Road near Breckenridge. A jury convicted the former Summit County burglar alarm salesman of second degree murder on March 20, 2002. He is serving a 30-year term at Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington. Court records show he is appealing his conviction.District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said the appeal is awaiting a decision in the state’s Court of Appeals.Douglas DeMoss, a former neighbor and friend of the Garrisons, was named as a co-defendant in the civil trial. The civil complaint also accused Garrison of fraudulently transferring ownership of a Dillon Valley condo to DeMoss in October 2000, which deprived Garrison of assets that could have been used to satisfy a debt to the plaintiffs.The settlement dismissed DeMoss from any monetary responsibility in the case.Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 229, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.


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