Adam Densmore, accused of killing Boulder mom, goes on trial this week

Opening statements in the trial of Adam Densmore, accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Ashley Mead in Boulder last year then dismembering and disposing of her body out of state, are expected to take place this week.

Densmore, 33, is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a corpse, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

Jury selection began on Friday and will resume Monday, with opening statements expected later in the week. The trial scheduled to run three weeks.

Because Boulder District Judge Judith LaBuda denied a motion by Densmore’s attorneys to separate the murder charges and the dismemberment charges into separate trials, the jury will hear evidence on all of the charges.

Denver defense attorney and former prosecutor Craig Silverman said the jury will need to consider each charge individually.

“No matter how obvious the evidence of wrongdoing and involvement in death may be, the prosecution still has to prove homicide and the level of intent,” Silverman said. “Proof beyond a reasonable doubt of murder after deliberation is not easy, nor should it be.”