On November 1, 1955, a man planted a bomb aboard a United Airlines plane shortly before it departed from Denver. The over beet fields in Weld County, killing all 44 people aboard.
It was a mass murder that grabbed headlines across the country. And viewers saw footage of the trial on TV 鈥� which was unusual then. If you've never heard of this crime, though, you're hardly alone. There's no marker at the site of the crash, near what is now Firestone.
But as the 70th anniversary approaches, people are talking about Flight 629. A local nonprofit, the , is working to create a memorial to those who lost their lives, as well as the nearby residents who turned out to try to search for survivors.
And a new honors those lost in the tragedy and looks at how it happened.
Andrew J. Field is a retired Staff Attorney for the Colorado Supreme Court, where he specialized in criminal law. He鈥檚 the author of . He spoke with host Erin O鈥橳oole last year about the bombing and its legacy for modern air travel. We鈥檙e listening back to that conversation today.
The Flight 629 Memorial Committee plans to hold a number of fundraising events leading up to the 70th anniversary. Donations can be made to the committee鈥檚 page.
