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Report details last minutes of young hostage's life

Published August 9, 2007 at midnight

BAILEY — Emily Keyes desperately pleaded with police to cooperate with a gunman minutes before he killed her, then himself, last September inside a classroom at Platte Canyon High School.

The last terrifying minutes of the 16-year-old's life were described by fellow hostages in a 2,525-page report released today.

In statements to police, hostages described how Keyes served as a go-between for Duane Morrison, the 53-year-old gunman, as police tried to coax him out of the classroom where he had taken Keyes and six other girls hostage.

According to the statements, as police tried asking Morrison what he wanted, Emily shouted, "Just wait."

"How long," police asked.

"I don't know how long," said Keyes.

It was apparent by the tone of Emily's voice she was getting more upset, the report stated. Then police asked, "Is he hurting you?"

Emily responded, "No."

Police asked again for Morrison to come out of the room. Emily said, "Just wait until four o'clock."

A SWAT team stormed the classroom, a decision made partly based on information that Morrison was sexually abusing the hostages.

The report included graphic photos of Morrison's body lying on the blue classroom carpet and the bloodstained walls of the crime scene.

The report did not include other items and information that was gathered at the scene, including details of the sexual assaults on the hostages and a video that was taken by students in a nearby multimedia class.

Detective Amy Franck, with the Park County Sheriff's Office, said no local citizens had come by to look at the report as of this afternoon, except for one, the mother of a hostage who wanted to read her daughter's interview.

A copy of the report had also been given to Keyes' parents.

"For me, this represents closure," said Franck. "I think local citizens have moved on. I know I'm looking forward to that."

She said her thoughts are with the Keyes and the six hostages who survived the attack.

"Those girls are my heroes. They always will be," said Franck. "They are called the Awesome 6. I wish them well in their life."

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