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Suspect In DU Campus Graffiti Case Shows Up In Court

By Jamie Leary

DENVER (CBS4) - The suspect linked to graffiti on the University of Denver campus showed up for a court appearance in Denver on Wednesday.

Samson Whittemore
Samson Whittemore (credit: CBS)

Samson Whittemore, 32, is wanted in connection with the vandalism case.

graffiti-4
(credit: CBS)

The DU campus wasn't the only place the graffiti was discovered; investigators believe Whittemore is also responsible for graffiti discovered at United Methodist Church on University Boulevard.

The university quickly issued a safety alert, warning students not to approach Whittemore and to call police if he is seen around campus. Whittemore, who is not associated with the DU, is a registered sex offender with an extensive criminal past.

Samson Whittemore
Samson Whittemore (credit: CBS)

Despite the threat of arrest, Whittemore appeared in court in the morning for a charge stemming from a separate case, also involving graffiti.

With the exception of the security checkpoint, Whittemore wore sunglasses through his entire court appearance. When he took them off for the judge, it was clear he was wearing them in an attempt to cover two fresh black eyes.

The judge told him he could keep the glasses on.

The judge set a November arraignment for the separate graffiti case. While Whittemore wasn't arrested in connection with DU case, he was approached by a Denver police detective and asked to come in for questioning Thursday.

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