DENVER — Over the weekend, four people were stabbed — two fatally — along the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.
The Denver Officer of the Medical Examiner on Wednesday identified the two victims as Celinda Levno, 71, and Nicholas Burkett, 34.
Denver7 spoke with loved ones of Celinda Levno and Nicholas Burkett to learn more about their lives.
Celinda Levno
Celinda Levno was a Phoenix-based flight attendant. She was on a layover in Denver when she was stabbed while walking along the 16th Street Mall on Saturday.
Celinda, 71, was a talented musician who loved animals, especially horses. Her birthday fell on Christmas Day, and she was married to her husband, John, for nearly 50 years.
"She was a flutist and I was a trumpet player," John said, describing how the two first met. “I went up to her and asked her if she wanted to play some flute duets. And she thought that was pretty crazy for a trumpet player to ask.”
Ultimately, Celinda and John fell in love. John described her as his life partner in all things.
John thought Celinda was calling him on Saturday afternoon when her name popped up on his phone.
"I saw her name come up on my phone, and when I answered, I realized that's somebody else, and that person said that she'd been stabbed in the neck," John recalled. "I never did hear her voice after that."
Celinda was rushed to the hospital, where doctors tried for hours to save her life. On Sunday at 7:39 a.m., Celinda was pronounced dead.
John said he spoke with the person who held Celinda's hand during the surgery and up until her death. That person called John just before Celinda passed and held the phone up to her ear.
“She said, 'I'm going to hold my phone up to her, and you can say whatever you want.' And I'm really glad she did that," John said. “I told her, 'I love you.'"
Celinda's loved ones started a GoFundMe to raise money for the funeral and to support her family during this time.
Nicholas Burkett
Nicholas Burkett was 34 years old with a family based in Arvada. His parents, Wayne Burkett and Carol Cortez, described him as a "comedian" when he was a child.
His younger sister, Maxine, told Denver7 he taught her how to live without caring what others may think.
Nicholas was stabbed on Sunday evening in the area of 16th and Wynkoop streets.
“He had his drug issues. He had his mental health issues. And, you know, he felt like that's what he wanted to do right at the time, and so that's where he was," Wayne said, explaining why Nicholas was along 16th Street on Sunday.
The Burkett family explained that Nicholas was unhoused and lived with substance use disorder.
When the family was first told Nicholas had passed, his mother assumed he overdosed.
"This is just shocking. It's just horrible," Carol said through tears. “He didn't deserve this."
Burkett's sister, Maxine, said the family is angry. They are worried that some of the mental health issues Nicholas lived with will be used by the suspect as a defense in court.
“We did love him. We did care. I know he felt alone a lot, but we do love him, and he was special to us. He was our only son. I loved him through everything he put me through," Carol said. "His life mattered."
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