Punter Faces Attempted Murder Charges

A month ago, prosecutors said they needed more time to investigate a mysterious attack that left a 5-inch-deep puncture wound in a college punter's kicking leg. On Thursday, they said the assault was worthy of a charge of attempted first-degree murder.

Mitchell Cozad, a former backup punter for Northern Colorado, could be sentenced to up to 48 years in prison if convicted of the attempted-murder charge and a second charge of second-degree assault, the Weld County district attorney's office said.

Cozad's attorney, Joseph A. Gavaldon, did not immediately return a call. A man who answered Cozad's mobile phone number hung up without commenting.

Cozad, 21, of Wheatland, Wyo., is accused of stabbing Rafael Mendoza, Northern Colorado's starting punter, on Sept. 11 outside his apartment in Evans, a small town adjacent to Greeley.

Cozad was arrested shortly after the attack and released on bond. But less than two weeks later, prosecutors let a deadline pass without filing charges, saying they needed to investigate further.

Their decision to file the attempted-murder charge surprised some.

"Based on the facts we've heard, it does sound a little over the top," said Scott Robinson, a Denver defense attorney and legal analyst.

"If it appears he was trying to stab a rival in the leg — a la Tanya Harding — first-degree assault is the most serious charge that is provable," he said.

But if prosecutors believe Mendoza had foiled an attempt on his life, the attempted-murder charge would be justified, he said.

District attorney's spokeswoman Jennifer Finch said that after their investigation, prosecutors felt the attempted murder and assault counts "were the appropriate charges." She did not elaborate.

Finch said a warrant had been issued for Cozad's arrest but he was not yet in custody, and she did not know where he was. She said his bail would be set at $500,000.

Police said Mendoza was attacked from behind after returning to his apartment complex from study hall. The assailant fled, but about 10 minutes later, a store clerk told police that two men in a car matching the description of the getaway vehicle stopped, stripped tape off the license plate and drove away.

Police said they traced the license number to Cozad.

Mendoza told police that four days before the attack, he saw a man who looked like the assailant watching him from the apartment parking lot. Worried, he quickly went inside.

Investigators said at the time the motive appeared to be rivalry over the starting job, prompting comparisons to the attack on Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan by Harding's hit man.

In mid-September, Evans Police Lt. Gary Kessler said witnesses had seen an alleged accomplice standing near the getaway car just after Mendoza was stabbed.

"He didn't play a role in the assault, but he played a role in the crime," Kessler said at the time.

Police have never announced a second arrest, and Kessler did not immediately return a call Thursday.

Robinson said prosecutors might have filed the attempted-murder charge to pressure Cozad to identify the alleged accomplice or intimidate him into accepting a plea bargain.

Mendoza was treated for a the puncture wound in his right thigh and released. He has returned to the team but said this month he is struggling with flashbacks. "It's been tough, and scary," he said. "It's hard for (my family), it's hard for me, it's hard for them wondering what's going to happen. But I know they (authorities) are doing their job. They're doing everything they possibly can to let justice run its course."

He did not immediately return a message Thursday and was not at practice because of an illness unrelated to his injury, UNC spokesman Eric Scott said.

"We support the Weld County DA's office in their ongoing investigation," Coach Scott Downing said after practice, refusing to comment further. "We're trying to focus on our game with Sacramento State next week."