No timetable for return in wake of sex assault case against stepson, 2 others
Ouray Police Chief Jeff Wood was placed on paid administrative leave on Monday, more than a month after his stepson and two other men were arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at Wood’s home.
City Administrator Silas Clarke told the Plaindealer he decided late last week to place Wood on administrative leave, then met with Wood Monday morning to inform the chief of his decision after Wood returned from vacation. Clarke declined to discuss the exact reasons why he placed Wood on leave.
The city announced the move in a press release Monday afternoon, indicating the leave is “pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.” Clarke confirmed there is no specific date when Wood’s administrative leave would end and he would resume his duties as police chief. Wood is currently making $133,912 a year.
That conceivably means Wood will be on leave until the criminal charges are dropped, the men charged in the case have pleaded guilty and been sentenced or the cases have gone to trial and a jury has found them guilty or not guilty.
Sgt. Gary Ray will serve as the acting chief while Wood is on leave.
In a separate release issued days before announcing Wood had been placed on paid administrative leave, city officials said they’ve been monitoring the criminal case since July. That’s when they say Wood learned about the investigation and reported it to Clarke.
Wood’s stepson, 18-year-old Nate Dieffenderffer, 18-year-old Ashton Whittington and 20-year-old Gabriel Trujillo have each been charged with felony sexual assault. The accuser in the case has told investigators she was raped multiple times at Wood’s house in May 2023 while the chief and his family slept.
Dieffenderffer is due back in court today (Thursday), while Whittington and Trujillo are due to appear in court again on Feb. 6 and 20, respectively.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation led the investigation due to the complexity of the case and to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
Some in the community have called for Wood’s resignation in the aftermath of the arrests. Others have defended Wood and noted he’s not accused of any crime.
He has not made any public statements to the Plaindealer regarding the case, which has just started in the judicial system.
Wood could not be reached for comment on Monday afternoon. The city took possession of his work cellphone.
If the past is any indication, it will take several months — possibly years — before there is a resolution in the cases against the three men.
It took nearly three years to reach a resolution in the last sexual assault case in Ouray County, although the pandemic played a role in delays in the case. Red Mountain Brewery owner John Warren was arrested in September 2019 on charges he sexually assaulted a woman, but with several trial delays, it wasn’t until July 2022 that a jury acquitted him on all counts.
