A Denver grand jury is investigating violent gang members suspected in a number of unsolved homicides, including the brazen New Year's Day drive-by shooting of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

The grand jury inquiry follows an ongoing investigation into a segment of the Crips gang believed to be involved in a growing drug trade.

Investigators have determined that gang is associated with at least seven killings throughout the state, and maybe as many as 12, according to a source familiar with the Crips probe.

The homicides have occurred in the metro area, as well as in the western and southwestern portions of Colorado.

"It's much broader than just Darrent Williams," the source said.

Denver prosecutors declined to provide any specifics, but spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough confirmed Wednesday that "the resources of a Denver grand jury are being utilized in a number of ongoing investigations related to unsolved homicides."

She made the statement as a result of frequent media questions about the status of the Williams investigation. When asked on Jan. 22, her office said no grand jury was hearing testimony in the challenging case.

There are currently two grand juries sitting in Denver, and new cases can be brought to them at any time.

Although Denver police have identified at least one "person of interest," no one has been arrested in connection with Williams' death.

The cornerback was gunned down near the corner of West 11th Avenue and Speer Boulevard while riding in a Hummer limo at about 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 1. Williams and a group of friends were returning home after attending a New Year's Eve party at Club Safari, a nightclub near downtown.

An SUV linked to the shooting is registered to Brian Hicks, a known Crips member who is being investigated in connection with the Dec. 6 homicide of Kalonniann Louisa Clark-James who was supposed to testify against him in an attempted murder trial.

Hicks was behind bars, awaiting trial on drugs charges, when both Clark-James and Williams were killed.

At least one anti-gang activist, the Rev. Leon Kelly, has said word on the street is that both killings have been tied to the Crips and that the two have "a lot of similarities" to other unsolved homicides.

"Williams was just the tip of the iceberg," Kelly said Wednesday.

Kelly, who runs Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives, said he hopes the grand jury will be able to help police bring closure to several families.

Legal observers have been speculating for months that the Williams investigation and any related unsolved cases could be destined for a grand jury.

Grand juries have the power to subpoena personal records and force reluctant witnesses to appear - particularly valuable tools in cases involving gangs.

"A grand jury provides two things that are really important: secrecy and compelled testimony," former Denver Deputy District Attorney Craig Silverman said Wednesday. "Those two things go together in a situation like this because it's easy to anticipate that you'll have scared and nervous witnesses."

The grand jury development comes a little more than a month after Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey made a public plea for more money to combat dangerous street gangs.

Speaking to a City Council committee, Morrissey said he needed additional funds to cover the investigation of unsolved cases for 18 months. Since then, he has moved two attorneys and an investigator to a prosecution gang unit that had been disbanded in the wake of budget cuts.

Morrissey told the committee then that the best way to fight increasingly violent gangs is to bring grand jury indictments against the entire organization.

prietob@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5219