WTC Worker Jailed In Wife's Denver Death
Victim Was First Homicide In Denver For 2002
POSTED: 7:04 a.m. MST January 2, 2002
UPDATED: 11:07 a.m. MST January 2, 2002
DENVER -- A Colorado-based federal relief worker who was involved in recovery efforts at the World Trade Center was in jail Wednesday for the suspected murder of his wife.
Kurt Sonnenfeld, 39 (pictured, left), took video footage inside the World Trade Center debris that was broadcast around the world last September after its release.
Sonnenfeld's wife, Nancy, was the first homicide in the city of Denver for 2002. She was found shot in the chest around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday in their east Denver home. She died six hours later at Denver Health Medical Center.
Police were originally told she had shot herself but determined that the husband was involved in the death, authorities said.
Sonnenfeld was booked into the Denver jail Tuesday for investigation of first-degree murder. He is a contract worker for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, based at the Lakewood, Colo., Federal Center.
Nancy SonneNfeld worked for an advertising agency and volunteered at the Maxfund Animal Shelter.
Sonnenfeld was activated as a contract cameraman employee for
FEMA, and his video footage of the World Trade Center wreckage was
broadcast around the world, FEMA spokeswoman Laura Shane said from
Washington. The FEMA regional branch that includes Colorado also
sent two teams of urban search and rescue workers to the site.
Sonnenfeld told police his wife shot herself because she was
angry with him, police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said. He was arrested at the hospital but
police did not say what led them to believe he was a suspect in her
death.
Sonnenfeld spent three weeks in New York last fall along with
other FEMA workers, photographing and videotaping ground zero. That
videotape was fed to television networks and it was broadcast
worldwide.
FEMA workers were stunned by news of his arrest.
"Kurt was definitely in love with his wife, very much so,"
said Michael Rieger, a disaster-assistance employee who also
traveled to New York.
"I worked with him at the World Trade Center. He was great to
work with. What an easygoing guy," said Pete Bakersky, another
FEMA worker.
Kurt Sonnenfeld, 39 (pictured, left), took video footage inside the World Trade Center debris that was broadcast around the world last September after its release.
Sonnenfeld's wife, Nancy, was the first homicide in the city of Denver for 2002. She was found shot in the chest around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday in their east Denver home. She died six hours later at Denver Health Medical Center.
Police were originally told she had shot herself but determined that the husband was involved in the death, authorities said.
Sonnenfeld was booked into the Denver jail Tuesday for investigation of first-degree murder. He is a contract worker for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, based at the Lakewood, Colo., Federal Center.
Nancy SonneNfeld worked for an advertising agency and volunteered at the Maxfund Animal Shelter.
Sonnenfeld was activated as a contract cameraman employee for
FEMA, and his video footage of the World Trade Center wreckage was
broadcast around the world, FEMA spokeswoman Laura Shane said from
Washington. The FEMA regional branch that includes Colorado also
sent two teams of urban search and rescue workers to the site.
Sonnenfeld told police his wife shot herself because she was
angry with him, police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said. He was arrested at the hospital but
police did not say what led them to believe he was a suspect in her
death.
Sonnenfeld spent three weeks in New York last fall along with
other FEMA workers, photographing and videotaping ground zero. That
videotape was fed to television networks and it was broadcast
worldwide.
FEMA workers were stunned by news of his arrest.
"Kurt was definitely in love with his wife, very much so,"
said Michael Rieger, a disaster-assistance employee who also
traveled to New York.
"I worked with him at the World Trade Center. He was great to
work with. What an easygoing guy," said Pete Bakersky, another
FEMA worker.Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
