DENVER — The journey from Stacy Feldman’s death to answers in a courtroom lasted more than seven years and involved delays – some caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – a court fight that went to the Colorado Supreme Court, and, ultimately, a nine-day trial in Denver District Court.
Stacy Feldman, 44 and a mother of two, was president of the parent-teacher organization at Southmoor Elementary School in Denver.
What follows is a timeline of events, beginning with the day she died.
March 1, 2015
Robert Feldman called 911, reporting that he had returned home to find his wife, Stacy, unresponsive in the shower.
Responding paramedics were unable to revive her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A forensic pathologist found numerous injuries – none of which appeared serious enough to end her life – and concluded that the cause and manner of Stacy Feldman’s death “cannot be determined.”
The pathologist found that “as the position of the decedent and presence or absence of facial submersion at the scene remains unclear, a contributing component of asphyxia (drowning) cannot be completely excluded.”
May 14, 2015
In a follow-up conversation, Robert Feldman told Denver Police officers that on the day of his wife’s death, she had told him she was tired and was sleeping when he left home with the couple’s children about 8:30 a.m. and traveled to Temple Sanai.
He told the detective that he returned around noon, called out to his wife but got no answer, changed clothes in the laundry room, cleaned the garage because a shelf had fallen, and went to a park and worked out.
He also told detectives that she had consumed edible marijuana the night before her death. Stacy Feldman’s autopsy report showed no signs of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system.
June 2015
Robert Feldman was paid $750,000, the proceeds from a life insurance policy on Stacy Feldman that had been purchased five years earlier.
June 12, 2015
A woman contacted Metro Denver Crime Stoppers and ultimately told Denver Police detectives that in February 2015, she met a man calling himself Robert Wolfe on an online dating site. She said they communicated through the site’s app and later by e-mail and text message, and that they met for coffee Feb. 23, 2015.
There, he told her that he was divorced. Three days later, he came to her house for dinner and they had sex, she told police.
After he broke plans to spend the following weekend together, she began to suspect that he was not divorced. She located an e-mail address for Stacy Feldman, wrote to her the morning of March 1 and asked whether she and Robert Feldman had split up.
Stacy Feldman replied that they had not, and the woman told her about the affair she’d had with him.
“I’m done with him,” Stacy Feldman replied, according to the woman.
Their conversation occurred shortly before 9 a.m. – roughly six hours before Robert Feldman called 911 and reported that his wife was unresponsive.
The woman did not learn that Stacy Feldman had died until more than three months after the fact. She had gone online looking to see whether the couple had ultimately divorced and found Stacy Feldman’s obituary.
Dec. 22, 2017
Dr. Bill Smock, who has testified extensively on strangulation and in-custody deaths, reviewed Stacy Feldman’s autopsy report, as well as photographs taken after she died and during her autopsy.
He concluded that she died “as a direct result of asphyxia and/or suffocation and that her injuries are the result of an assault, which included blunt force trauma, strangulation and suffocation.”
Feb. 13, 2018
Denver police arrest Robert Feldman on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Feb. 16, 2018
Judge Morris Hoffman ordered that Robert Feldman be held without bail.
June 8, 2018
After a preliminary hearing, Judge Williams Robbins ruled that prosecutors did not meet the standard that “proof of guilt is evident or presumption is great,” making Robert Feldman eligible for bail.
Robbins set bail at $2 million, ordered Feldman to surrender his U.S. and Canadian passports, and placed Feldman on the “highest level of pretrial services – intensive with monitoring.”
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July 8, 2018
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed a motion for “reasonable” bail.
July 13, 2018
Judge William Robbins reduced Robert Feldman’s bail to $1 million, ordered him to surrender his U.S. and Canadian passports, and placed him on “maximum supervision with monitoring.” The judge delayed Feldman’s arraignment, where was set to enter a plea.
July 26-27, 2018
Robert Feldman posted bail, used a bondsman and was released. He was ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor and was confined to his home, allowed to leave only for medical or legal appointments or to get groceries.
Sept. 10, 2018
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed a motion for modification of his bond conditions. Specifically, his attorney noted that he “has obtained potential employment that he could begin should his restrictions be relaxed” and asked that he be moved to “intensive (supervision) with electronic monitoring,” which could allow him to leave the house for work.
Sept. 17, 2018
Judge William Robbins denied the motion to modify the conditions of Robert Feldman’s bail but delayed his arraignment as Stacy Feldman’s family fought to freeze the proceeds of her life insurance payout, something they wanted done to prevent her alleged killer from using the money to pay for his defense.
Oct. 22, 2018
Robert Feldman’s arraignment was delayed amid the ongoing fight by Stacy Feldman’s family to freeze the proceeds of her life insurance payout so that he couldn't use it to pay his attorneys.
Dec. 10, 2018
Robert Feldman’s arraignment was delayed amid the ongoing fight by Stacy Feldman’s family to freeze the proceeds of her life insurance payout so that he couldn't use it to pay his attorneys.
Dec. 14, 2018
Robert Feldman’s arraignment was delayed amid the ongoing fight by Stacy Feldman’s family to freeze the proceeds of her life insurance payout so that he cannot use it to pay his attorneys.
Dec. 30, 2018
Robert Feldman’s grandmother died at her home in Montreal.
Jan. 1, 2019
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed an “emergency motion” asking to allow him to travel to Montreal to sit Shiva and attend his grandmother’s funeral.
Jan. 4, 2019
Judge Karen Brody denied Robert Feldman’s motion to travel to Canada. She did allow him to leave home through Jan. 9, 2019, to visit his temple during normal hours.
Feb. 6, 2019
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed a motion to modify bond conditions. Specifically, his attorney asked that he be allowed to recite Kaddish in honor of his grandmother at his temple on a regular basis.
The motion also requested that his level of monitoring be dropped to “intensive with electronic monitoring” – a step, his attorney argued, that would allow him to find employment.
Feb. 22, 2019
Judge Edward Bronfin issued an order allowing Robert Feldman to attend once-daily services at either Temple Sinai or another synagogue near his residence – “one service per day only.”
March 1, 2019
Robert Feldman’s arraignment was delayed amid the ongoing fight by Stacy Feldman’s family to freeze the proceeds of her life insurance payout so that he cannot use it to pay his attorneys.
March 2, 2019
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed a motion to allow him to recite Kaddish twice a day, during morning and evening services.
March 8, 2019
Judge Edward Bronfin denied a request to allow Robert Feldman to visit a synagogue to recite Kaddish twice a day; however, he allowed the single daily visits to temple for the rite to last up to three hours.
Oct. 21, 2019
Robert Feldman pleaded not guilty at his arraignment after the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling.
The Supreme Court’s decision gave him the right to spend money from Stacy Feldman’s life insurance policy on his defense.
Dec. 4, 2019
Prosecutors filed a motion to end Robert Feldman’s trips to temple and to re-order home confinement with exceptions only for legal and medical appointments.
Jan. 10, 2020
After a hearing, Judge Edward Bronfin modified Robert Feldman’s bond conditions, concluding that he could continue to go to temple once a day until Jan. 19, 2020. After that, he was permitted to attend religious service once weekly, either Friday night or Saturday morning only.
March 20, 2020
After a note from Robert Feldman’s doctor recommending that Feldman take three one-hour walks a day for health reasons, Denver Pretrial Services allowed Feldman to leave his home to take those walks.
April 20, 2020
Robert Feldman was scheduled to go on trial for first-degree murder. The trial was one of many delayed in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 9, 2020
After a months-long 9Wants to Know investigation, 9NEWS reported that Robert Feldman pursued relationships with at least five women while he was free on bail.
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The investigation also found that he maintained different profiles on various social media and dating apps – using different names and in some cases different background information.
For instance, on one dating app located by 9Wants to Know, he was listed as a Conservative Jew in his mid-50s, and on another as a Reform Jew in his mid-40s.
Sept. 1, 2020
Robert Feldman was scheduled to go on trial, but it was again delayed.
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Sept. 18, 2020
Robert Feldman was scheduled to go on trial for first-degree murder. The trial was delayed because the doctor who performed Stacy Feldman’s autopsy, who now lives in California, refused to travel to Denver to testify during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oct. 15, 2020
Denver Pretrial Services filed a summons and complaint, detailing the daily walks Robert Feldman was allowed to take.
“The defendant, however, appears to be making unapproved stops at various stores, restaurants, shops, etc.; going to parks and other locations significantly outside of his immediate neighborhood, and not returning within the allotted amount of time scheduled. He has reported to Pretrial Services that these stops are for medical purposes.”
Denver Pretrial Services removed the walks from the defendant’s schedule and asked that the court rule on whether Feldman could leave his house for each day, and for what.
Dec. 18, 2020
Robert Feldman was scheduled to appear before Judge Edward Bronfin to answer Denver Pretrial Services’ motion to modify his bond conditions. The hearing was rescheduled.
March 16, 2021
Robert Feldman’s attorney filed a motion to modify his bond conditions, requesting that he be authorized to leave his home “for physical health, mental health and to obtain basic services.”
He requested permission for “two hours of outside physical activity per day, or more if determined to be medically necessary, at a designated location approved in advance by Pretrial Services.”
He also requested the right to leave once a month to get a haircut, once a week to attend religious services and for things like appliance repairs, car repairs, veterinary care “or trips to a hardware store for home repair items.”
March 26, 2021
Robert Feldman was scheduled to go on trial for first-degree murder. The trial was delayed because the COVID-19 pandemic had caused the cancellation of all jury trials in Denver through March 31, 2021.
April 2, 2021
Judge Edward Bronfin ordered that Robert Feldman could attend temple once a week – beyond that, he “is allowed unlimited access to his back yard” for exercise.
April 29, 2021
After a months-long 9Wants to Know investigation, 9NEWS reported that Robert Feldman had repeatedly left his home for long bike rides – some lasting three hours or more – with stops at coffee shops, restaurants, and stores.
In all, 9Wants to Know found that Feldman had ridden his bicycle on more than 230 days since October 2018 and covered more than 3,000 miles.
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Oct. 1, 2021
Robert Feldman was scheduled to go on trial for first-degree murder. The trial was delayed because a key witness – the woman who told Stacy Feldman she’d had an affair with Robert Feldman – was out of the country and unable to return to testify.
April 5, 2021
Robert Feldman went on trial for first-degree murder. Jurors heard nine days of testimony.
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April 19, 2022
After deliberating less than three hours, a jury convicted Robert Feldman of first-degree murder, and Judge Edward Bronfin issued a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Contact 9Wants to Know investigator Kevin Vaughan with tips about this or any story: kevin.vaughan@9news.com or 303-871-1862.
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