Case of Michael B. Gray
(AKA: MIchael Gray, Mike Gray)
Stockbroker - Boettcher & Co. Inc., Denver, Colorado
Cherry Hills, CO
There are several people who go by the name of Michael Gray. The individual discussed on this page was born around 1955 and is former stockbroker in the Denver, CO area.
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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.
Table of Contents:
1990
- Man Accused of Beating Wife Faces More Charges (04/19/1990)
- Testimony is Given in Wife-Beating Case - Cherry Hills Stockbroker Facing 4 Charges (06/06/1990)
- Stockbroker to Face Trial in Wife's Beating (06/14/1990)
- Stockbroker Pleads Guilty to Attack (10/20/1990)
- Light Sentence Urged In Wife Beating (12/07/1990)
- Beaten Women's Kin Urge Judge to Send Former Husband to Jail (012/08/1990)
- Wife Beater Sentenced to 10 Years (012/10/1990)
- Gateway Shelter Striving to Aid Battered Women (12/29/1990)
1991
- Judge Keeps Wife Beater In Prison - Stock Broker's Remore Doesn't Sway Judge, Who says 10 Year Sentence was a Message to Others (09/08/1991)
- Wife-Beater Will Seek Early Out From Prison - Ex-Stock Broker Says he has been Punished Enough After Serving Only 1 of 10 Years (10/11/1991)
Also See:
- Domestic Violence In Jewish Homes
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Man Accused of Beating Wife Faces More Charges
By Marlys Duran
Rocky Mountain News. - April 19, 1990
Prosecutors yesterday added attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault to the charges facing Cherry Hills Village stock broker Michael Gray, accused of beating his wife with a chair.
Gray, 35, already was charged with first-degree assault and burglary in the March 19 incident that left Elizabeth Gray, 34, with a serious head injury.
If convicted of the more serious attempted-murder count, Michael Gray could be sentenced to up to 48 years in prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled June 8 in Arapahoe County Court.
Deputy district attorney Jim Peters said additional evidence prompted the new charges.
Authorities allege that Gray struck his wife on the back of the head with a chair during an argument in their home. Elizabeth Gray was in serious condition for several days at Swedish Medical Center.
Gray is free on a $50,000 bond posted by his father, Gerald S. Gray. The elder Gray is a partner of Marvin Davis, billionaire and former Denver oilman, in the proposed $100 million Regency Fashion Centre in the Denver Technological Center.
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TESTIMONY IS GIVEN IN WIFE-BEATING CASE - CHERRY HILLS STOCKBROKER FACING 4 CHARGES
BY HECTOR GUTIERREZ
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS - Saturday, June 9, 1990
Michael B. Gray, a Cherry Hills stockbroker, seriously beat his wife, causing severe head injuries, witnesses said yesterday during a preliminary hearing.
Gray, 35, confessed to police and neighbors that he assaulted his wife, Elizabeth, with his fists and a chair at their Cherry Hills home on March 19.
He is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault, first-degree assault and burglary. The couple was separated at the time of the attack, and divorce proceedings are under way.
Elizabeth Gray, 34, whose skull was fractured, is recuperating at a New Orleans hospital, according to chief deputy district attorney James Peters.
The Gray case has drawn more interest than most domestic-violence cases because of the prominence of the defendant's family. Gray's father, Gerald S. Gray, is a partner of Marvin Davis, a billionaire and former Denver oilman, who is trying to bring the $100 million Regency Fashion Centre to the Denver Technological Center.
During the afternoon-long session yesterday, defense attorneys Robert L. Ransome and Theodore A. Borrillo questioned Cherry Hills police officers, who testified that Gray tried to kill his wife.
In a rare move for a preliminary hearing, the defense made opening statements to Judge Timothy L. Fasing, urging him to drop the attempted-murder and burglary charges.
"There's no doubt that Michael flailed on his wife," Ransome told Fasing. ''The issue is whether he was trying to murder her, and we want to say it is painfully obvious that he did not try to murder her."
Defense lawyers contend that if Gray wanted to kill his wife, he would have used a gun, which he pulled out after the beating.
Gray told detectives that he was going to shoot himself, but decided to put the gun away instead. Defense attorneys also said Gray did not break into the home, but was allowed in by his wife to pick up his mail.
Police said yesterday that, before he went to the house, Gray had become enraged upon learning that his estranged wife had changed the locks on most of the doors to prevent his entering.
Cherry Hills police Sgt. Pat Whitman testified, however, that when she interviewed Elizabeth Gray after the beating, the victim told the detective that she previously had feared her husband would harm her.
"She said that he had threatened to put her 6 feet under in the past, and that she was afraid of him," Whitman testified. LIB2
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Stockbroker to face trial in wife's beating
By Hector Gutierrez
Rocky Mountain News - Thursday, June 14, 1990
A judge yesterday rejected arguments from defense attorneys for dropping an attempted-murder charge against Michael B. Gray and ordered the stockbroker to stand trial in his wife's beating.
In addition to attempted first-degree murder, Judge Timothy L. Fasing ordered Gray, 35, to be tried on charges of first- and second-degree assault, and first- and second-degree burglary.
Elizabeth Gray, 34, sustained severe head blows March 19 in an attack by fists and a chair, which the defendant acknowledges he committed. The couple were separated and seeking a divorce.
The victim is recuperating in a New Orleans hospital.
Defense lawyers Theodore A. Borrillo and Robert L. Ransome had requested dismissal of the attempted-murder and burglary charges.
The defendant's father is Gerald S. Gray, a partner of billionaire Marvin Davis. The younger Gray, who was working for Boettcher & Co. Inc. in Denver, had stopped at his father's office before going to the Cherry Hills Village house, where the attack occurred, to pick up his children. Elizabeth Gray had changed the locks to prevent her husband's entry.
The elder Gray testified yesterday on behalf of his son, telling of a phone call in which the younger Gray admitted he had just severely beaten his estranged wife.
"He sounded like he was in shock when he was speaking to me. He said, 'I lost it. I cold-cocked her. I can't believe I did it. I'm sorry for what I did,' " the elder Gray said.
The defense contended Gray was let into the home by his wife before a dispute erupted over the new locks.
Borrillo said that if his client had wanted to kill his wife, he would have shot her.
But Fasing ruled that Gray's leaving his victim unconscious on the floor without seeking immediate aid was enough probable cause to try Gray for attempted first-degree murder.
STOCKBROKER PLEADS GUILTY IN ATTACK ON WIFE
BY HECTOR GUTIERREZ
Rocky Mountain News - Saturday, October 20, 1990
Cherry Hills stockbroker Michael B. Gray pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of second-degree burglary and assault in the beating of his wife, part of a plea bargain that saw eight other counts dropped.
The most serious count dropped against Gray was the charge of first-degree attempted murder.
Chief deputy district attorney James Peters told the court that the victim, Elizabeth Gray, did not approve of the plea agreement and and wanted the charge of first-degree attempted murder retained against her ex-husband.
Peters and Michael Gray's attorney, Robert L. Ransome, declined to discuss the case until after sentencing Dec. 6.
Elizabeth Gray, 34, suffered severe blows on the head March 19 during an assault in the couple's home in Cherry Hills.
Michael Gray, who was employed with Boettcher & Co. Inc. in Denver, admitted that he pummeled his estranged wife with a chair and his fists. LIB
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Light Sentence Urged In Wife Beating
By Hector Gutierrez
Rocky Mountain News - Friday, December 7, 1990
Stockbroker Michael B. Gray should not go to prison in the beating of his wife, clinical psychologists called by his defense lawyers testified yesterday.
Instead, they urged that Gray continue to receive therapy to control his anger and be given a light penalty. Gray faces up to 48 years in prison.
It was the first day of a rare two-day sentencing hearing. Arapahoe County District Judge John P. Leopold will decide the fate of Gray today. He pleaded guilty in October to assaulting his ex-wife and to two counts of second-degree burglary.
Yesterday's courtroom was packed with supporters of both victim and assailant. Elizabeth Gray, 34, sat about 10 feet from her ex-husband, who beat her severely March 19 at the couple's Cherry Hills home.
The case has gained more attention than many domestic violence cases because Gray's father, Gerald S. Gray, is a partner of billionaire Marvin Davis.
Gray's lawyer, Robert L. Ransome, reiterated that Gray never planned to harm his wife.
Gray became angry when his wife put new locks on their home to prevent him from entering and seeing their children, Ransome said. The Grays were separated and undergoing a divorce at the time.
As part of a plea agreement, eight counts, including first-degree attempted murder, were dropped.
Elizabeth Gray is expected to testify that Gray should receive a stiff sentence. She also is undergoing treatment, for physical and emotional injuries.
Clinical psychologist Suzanne Bernhard, who examined Gray, said he is progressing in his treatment and has accepted his responsibility.
Bernhard said a lengthy prison sentence also could be detrimental to the children's upbringing.
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Beaten Women's Kin Urge Judge to Send Former Husband to Jail
By Hector Gutierrez
Rocky Mounatin News - Saturday, December 8, 1990
The brother and aunt of Elizabeth Gray, who was pummeled by her former husband, Michael B. Gray, urged a judge yesterday to send the wealthy stockbroker to jail.
Gray faces a maximum prison term of 48 years.
"Well, I just want justice to be served," said Kenneth Taylor, the victim's brother, who has been at the side of his tearful sister during the two days of testimony in a sentencing hearing.
Taylor described how his sister remains unable to do daily chores on her own.
In a plea agreement, Gray has pleaded guilty to assault and to two counts of second-degree burglary. Eight other counts were dropped.
Elizabeth Gray disapproved of the deal. She is expected to testify that her ex-husband be dealt with severely because she has not recovered physically or emotionally.
Arapahoe County District Judge John P. Leopold is expected to decide Thursday on Gray's punishment.
Patricia Taylor, Elizabeth Gray's aunt, recommended that Leopold incarcerate Gray. She recalled a recent encounter with Michael Gray in New Orleans, the victim's home, where the defendant was visiting his two children. Gray asked Patricia Taylor if he should go to jail.
"I told him, 'Yes.' " Taylor said. "He told me it was just six stitches on her head," Taylor testified about the March 19 beating that left Elizabeth Gray in critical condition with a fractured skull. "I don't care if it was six, 60, 600 stitches. He damaged her head."
She acknowledged that Gray's relationship with his children did not appear to be strained.
Wife Beater Sentenced to 10 Years
By Marlys Duran
Rocky Mountain News - Friday, December 14, 1990
Elizabeth Gray got her wish yesterday when her wealthy, stockbroker husband was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bashing her in the head with a wooden chair.
"I'm afraid of him. . . . The only way to get on with my life is to feel safe," Gray told Arapahoe County Judge John Leopold as an unusual three-day sentencing hearing for Michael B. Gray drew to a close.
While Elizabeth Gray testified, the splintered pieces of the chair lay nearby - evidence of the March 19 attack that she said she doesn't remember.
After months of therapy, the former Louisiana State University homecoming queen still is physically and mentally impaired. A neuropsychologist testified she may never recover completely.
Leopold, citing the severity of Elizabeth Gray's injuries, added two years to the usual maximum sentence for second-degree assault. "A sentence that does not match the conduct would send a green light" to batterers, he said.
Among relatives and friends of both Grays who packed the courtroom was Michael Gray's father, Gerald S. Gray, a partner of billionaire Marvin Davis.
Michael Gray, 36, called the assault "totally inexcusable" and apologized to his wife and her family. After months of psychotherapy, he said, "I've learned a great deal about myself."
Gray, described as a millionaire by deputy district attorney Jim Peters, was separated from his wife when he attacked her in the kitchen and dining room of their Cherry Hills Village home. Before knocking her unconscious with the chair, he "pummeled" her at least six times with his fists, Peters said.
Gray reportedly was angry because his wife had changed the locks on the house. She testified she did so because "things had escalated and I was starting to become afraid. He said I should be 6 feet under. He said, 'I'll do something to the kids.' "
Peters said Gray, in previous incidents, had spit in his wife's face, shoved her into a wall, squeezed her face until it hurt and slammed her hand onto a counter, causing it to bleed.
Defense attorneys urged Leopold to grant Gray probation, saying that sending him to prison would harm his two children, age 4 and 6.
But Kathleen Henken, a psychotherapist who supervised visits between Gray and his children, said a prison sentence would help them deal with what happened to their mother.
"It's very clear to them that what their father did was very, very bad," she said. "It's vital for the children to see there are consequences."
Gateway Shelter Striving to Aid Battered Women
By James B. Meadow
Rocky Mountain News - December 29, 1990
The holiday season is commonly associated with strengthening family ties. Yet, sadly, this goodwill-toward-mankind ethos is far from universal.
For proof, look no further than the Gateway Battered Women's Shelter in Aurora, where the beds are filled, says development director Joni Samuels.
One of the state's first shelters for victims of domestic violence, Gateway was founded in 1979 to help women in Aurora and Arapahoe County. Today, although there are some 42 programs in Colorado, the tragic reality is that they don't represent a surplus of assistance.
"According to the latest FBI figures, every 15 seconds in this country, a woman is beaten by either her husband or boyfriend," Samuels said.
Samuels (herself a former victim of domestic violence), adds: "Statistics also show that that a woman leaves a battering situation an average of six or seven times before she permanently leaves the relationship."
Samuels says domestic violence crosses all educational, racial and vocational lines. For emphasis, she pulls out her clipping file and cites the recent case of Cherry Hills stockbroker Michael Gray, recently sentenced to 10 years for severely beating his estranged wife, Elizabeth.
"Since we cover Arapahoe County, our area includes some of the wealthier suburbs like Cherry Hills and Greenwood Village," Samuels said. "Believe me, domestic violence is not just something that affects poor minorities."
Nor is it something that takes a respite for the holidays.
Gateway provides emergency shelter, food and clothing for up to 23 women and children at a time. (More than half the shelter's residents have children with them.) Gateway provided shelter to more than 650 women and children this year, a figure that likely will increase in 1991, Samuels said.
In addition, the shelter provides emotional, educational and job counseling to residents and other women.
It also operates a Criminal Justice Project, serving as an advocate for victims' rights; and an outreach program, in which speakers go to area high schools and businesses to educate people about domestic violence.
There is also Gateway's 24-hour hotline (343-1851), which offers bi-lingual crisis counseling, information and referrals. More than 5,000 calls have been logged this year.
Gateway's 1991 budget of $697,000 represents a 16% increase over this year's. The shelter receives more than half its income from government sources, but Samuels wants to beef up Gateway's fund-raising activities next year.
Judge Keeps Wife Beater In Prison - Stock Broker's Remore Doesn't Sway Judge, Who says 10 Year Sentence was a Message to Others
by Maryys Duranr
Rocky Mountain News - Friday, November 8, 1991
Former Cherry Hills stock broker Michael Gray stood before a judge Thursday in an orange jail jumpsuit and admitted, "I am a batterer. I have never felt sorrier."
But District Judge John Leopold wasn't moved enough to free Gray, 37, from prison after less than a year.
Instead, Leopold lopped one year off the 10-year sentence he gave Gray last December for bashing his estranged wife over the head with a wooden chair.
Leopold said the 10-year term was a message to "people who still think women are second-class citizens."
If he shortened the sentence further, he said, "I wouldn't have accomplished anything at all."
With good time, Gray could be paroled in 1994.
After the hearing, Gray's ex-wife, Elizabeth Taylor, said she was relieved that he will remain in prison. "I was so afraid he would be getting out," she said.
Taylor, 36, endured months of physical therapy after Gray pummeled her with his fists, then knocked her unconscious with a chair on March 19, 1990, in their Cherry Hills Village home. He reportedly was angry because she had changed the home's locks.
Taylor, who uses her maiden name, said she still has "terrible" headaches, double vision and balance problems.
Taylor told Leopold she doesn't believe her former husband is sufficiently rehabilitated.
"He has a great deal of anger to work out," she said. "He can do it in jail."
Gray's attorney, Michael Axt, asked Leopold to free Gray from prison so he could receive intensive domestic-violence therapy.
"He has a disease. He is addicted to control," Axt said.
Gray is being seen regularly in prison by a private therapist - making him perhaps the only state inmate with his own therapist, said prosecutor Jim Peters.
As his father, Gerald S. Gray, a business partner of billionaire Marvin Davis, looked on with other family members, Gray told Leopold he is a changed man.
"I no longer feel that provocation by my ex-wife, Liz, caused me to brutally assault her," Gray said.
"I only wish I had known 20 months ago what I know today," he added. "It wouldn't have happened."
Wife-Beater Will Seek Early Out From Prison - Ex-Stock Broker Says he has been Punished Enough After Serving Only 1 of 10 Years
By Marlys Duran
Rocky Mountain News - Friday, October 11, 1991
A former Cherry Hills Village stockbroker will ask a judge next month to let him out of prison, less than a year after he was sentenced to 10 years for bashing his estranged wife on the head with a chair.
Attorneys for Michael Gray, 37, will argue Nov. 7 that he has been punished enough for the March 1990 attack that left Elizabeth Gray physically and mentally impaired.
The request for reconsideration will be heard by Arapahoe County District Judge John Leopold, who sentenced Gray last December for second-degree assault.
Elizabeth Gray, who now lives in New Orleans with her two young children, will attend the hearing, prosecutor Jim Peters said.
She testified in December that she was afraid of her wealthy husband and would feel safe only if he was in prison.
Michael Gray told Leopold then that he had benefited from months of psychotherapy. The attack was "totally inexcusable," Gray said.
Leopold sentenced Gray to 10 years, adding two years to the usual maximum sentence for second-degree assault. Anything less, Leopold said, would be a 'green light" to batterers.
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