The mother of the woman killed in Blue River in July filed a lawsuit against the man who is accused of killing her daughter and the man’s ex-wife, according to court records.

A complaint filed Sept. 25 lists Joann Shugrue, the mother of Jordan E. LaBarre, as the plaintiff and Daniel J. DeVito and Denise DeVito, also listed as Denise Arnett, as defendants.

Law enforcement responded to Daniel DeVito’s Blue River home July 7 after receiving reports of shots being fired. They found LaBarre inside the home and initially arrested Daniel DeVito on charges unrelated to the homicide investigation. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, July 9, obtained probable cause to arrest DeVito on a preliminary first-degree murder charge, according to a news release issued by the agency. 

Summit County Coroner Amber Flenniken identified the sole victim in the homicide as LaBarre, 32, of Breckenridge. LaBarre died from a “gunshot wound of the head,” according to her autopsy.

Shugrue’s lawsuit makes four claims, two against Daniel DeVito for wrongful death and two against him and Denise DeVito for “fraudulent and voidable transfer of assets” and “civil conspiracy to engage in fraudulent transfers.”

The lawsuit alleges Daniel DeVito shot and killed LaBarre in his home July 7 by “carelessly, recklessly, and/or intentionally” using a firearm.

Shugrue, according to the lawsuit, states she has experienced damages in excess of $25 million for “grief, loss of a beautiful mother-daughter relationship, pain and suffering.”

Regarding the fraudulent transfer allegation, the lawsuit claims Denise DeVito expressed concern that Daniel DeVito’s actions would expose his “considerable assets and wealth” to seizure or “civil judgments by third parties,” impacting the financial interests of herself and the children she and Daniel DeVito had together.

It states that Daniel and Denise DeVito communicated at the end of July and agreed to transfer ownership of several properties from Daniel DeVito to Denise DeVito. 

Summit County public GIS records show ownership of the home where Daniel DeVito allegedly killed LaBarre was transferred to Denise DeVito through a quitclaim deed on July 30 with a sale price of $0. The Aspen Meadows Circle property has a 2025 actual value of about $1.85 million, according to the GIS records.

The Zillow page for the home cites data from the Multiple Listing Service that the home was listed for $1.725 million Aug. 24 before the price decreased twice, ending at just under $1.5 million with a “pending sale” listed Sept. 14 before it was taken off the market Sept. 26. 

The lawsuit cited the same dates and prices, adding that the property went under contract on Sept. 12 and stating the sale seemed “imminent” at the time of the lawsuit’s filing.

The lawsuit makes similar claims about the DeVitos using quitclaim deeds to transfer ownership of a property on Airport Road in Breckenridge with a 2025 actual value of $754,000, but it makes no claims about the property being listed for sale. Public GIS records show a quitclaim deed transfer on July 30 with a $0 sale price.

The DeVitos transferred another property in Boulder, according to the lawsuit. Boulder County records show a quitclaim deed transfer July 31 with a $0 sale price and a 2025 actual value of $915,500. 

Zillow shows a sale of the property for $777,000 on Sept. 15, matching the price the lawsuit lists in its claim that Denise DeVito sold the property in a “hurried sale.”

The listed actual values for the properties total over $3.5 million. The lawsuit seeks a judgement for 1 1/2 times that total, citing a line in the Colorado Revised Statutes about fraudulent property sales.

Shugrue’s complaint states the transfers of property between the DeVitos and any attempted or completed sales of those properties were fraudulent and voidable under state statute that prevents debtors from transferring assets.

The DeVitos acted with “actual intent to hinder, delay, or defraud” Daniel DeVito’s creditors, which reportedly include Shugrue, according to the lawsuit.

District court judge Karen Ann Romeo granted a temporary restraining order against the DeVitos that bars them from selling the Aspen Meadows Circle or Airport Road properties, selling or transferring any other properties Daniel DeVito owned as of July 7, or moving any funds gained from the sale of the Boulder property.

Romeo also ordered a writ of attachment for the Aspen Meadows Circle and Airport Road properties, which directs the Summit County Sheriff’s Office to seize those properties.

Denise DeVito did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A lawyer representing Daniel DeVito also did not respond to a request for comment.