Run/walk honoring Colorado prosecutor whose murder remains unsolved set to return

It's a presence that can be felt and seen on the walls of Colorado's 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office. 

"He was just a tremendous public servant," District Attorney Brian Mason said. "I go in [the training room] from time to time and look at his picture and think about him and hope that he'd be proud about the work that I do, and the work that we continue to do here."

That is how highly Mason thought of Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean May.

"He was shaping prosecutors, including me, into attorneys of integrity, and that's the kind of attorney and man he was," Mason said. 

However, Mason's mentor and friend's passion for pursuing justice was cut short when May was shot and killed outside his Denver home in 2008. The 37-year-old's wife was six months pregnant with their first child at the time of the murder. 

"The night that Sean was murdered will be imprinted in my memory forever. I heard about it via text and immediately went to the hospital," Mason said. "We were all hoping and praying he would survive, and he didn't."

Denver police told CBS Colorado May's death still remains under investigation. Meanwhile, the past 17 years of not knowing what happened have left a hole in a family and community's search for justice.

"It's so demoralizing and discouraging and frustrating that there's been no justice for Sean," Mason said.

Years of that frustration among those within the district attorney's office quickly turned into remembrance when Mason and other prosecutors joined together to start the Sean May Memorial 5K in 2012. 

"The run/walk was a huge success in the years after he was killed," Mason explained. "We had judges, public defenders, prosecutors from all over the state [and] attorneys who didn't know Sean, young people who came out and did this run and this walk in his honor."

During the pandemic, that memorial stopped and had not been reinstated since. 

"I think we've wanted to bring it back for a while," Mason said. "Putting on an event like this takes organization and volunteer hours and support."

After renewed support from the Colorado Judicial Branch, the courts and many others across the criminal justice community, the memorial run/walk will be held again and take place at Barr Lake State Park Saturday, Oct. 18. 

"This honors Sean May, who was a prosecutor, but it also honors his larger vision, which was to provide access to justice for everybody," Mason said. 

Mason says May's wife also stands behind the cause.

"She's delighted that this event honoring her late husband is back, and she is grateful that so many of us care about Sean and preserving his memory," Mason said.

Visit the Sean May Memorial Run/Walk website for more information. Denver Police Department is also urging anyone with information on May's death to contact Denver Metro Crimestoppers.  

Money raised during this reinstated memorial event will continue to go toward improving people's access to the criminal justice system. It's the same system they hope will also one day bring closure to May's family. 

"I'm hopeful that someday someone will be held accountable for the murder of this wonderful human being," Mason said.