Person of interest in Platte County quadruple homicide appears in court

Shelly Denham choked back tears as her 24-year-old son entered a Platte County courtroom Tuesday to address a theft charge while under the pall of a quadruple murder investigation.

It marked the first time Shelly Denham had seen Grayden Lane Denham in person since his Feb. 21 arrest in Arizona, two days after firefighters discovered four shot and burned bodies outside a burning rural Platte County home. The bodies belonged to his grandparents, sister and 3-month-old nephew.

He initially refused to respond to the judge’s questions Tuesday until his attorney, John P. O’Connor, convinced him to speak. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the theft case, and he told the judge he understood the significance of waiving that right.

His mother, who lost her daughter and grandson in the quadruple killing, watched from the front row of the courtroom gallery.

“It was hard seeing my son walk out in shackles,” Shelly Denham said later. “I have never seen him in handcuffs before, so it kind of took my breath away and it was really emotional.”

She said she doesn’t believe he killed his relatives. Grayden Denham was very protective of his sister and would do nothing to harm her, she said.

Yet authorities have called Denham a person of interest in the Feb. 19 deaths near Edgerton, Mo.

They charged him with theft for allegedly taking his grandparents’ car without permission and driving it about 1,200 miles to Seligman, Ariz., where police arrested him as he walked naked.

Prosecutors have not filed charges in the deaths of his grandparents Russell Denham, 82, and Shirley Denham, 81; his sister, Heather Ager, 32; and her son, Mason Schiavoni.

Denham occasionally lived at the residence where they died. He was not allowed to drive his grandparents’ vehicles because his Missouri driver’s license had been revoked for points violations and child support enforcement, according to authorities.

Shelly Denham said she believes an acquaintance of her daughter may be connected to the slayings but declined to go into specifics.

She described her son as a quiet outdoorsman who as a child brought home rocks he collected from the fields. He loved animals and at one point wanted to become a veterinarian. More recently, he had talked of becoming a welder.

“Grayden always wanted to do his own thing,” Shelly Denham said.

Authorities found Russell Denham’s body east of the house near a small shed. The bodies of Shirley Denham, Heather Ager and Mason were found near the house.

Heather Ager died from gunshot and shotgun wounds to her head, according to a copy of a death certificate obtained by Shelly Denham. Someone also shot the grandparents and Mason each in the head before setting their bodies on fire. Mason was in his mother’s arms. Shelly Denham said.

Grayden Denham, who currently has long hair and a long beard, remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of a $100,000 cash-only bond. His next court date is set for June 23.

“I want people to know that he is not the monster that they are portraying him to be just because of his looks,” Shelly Denham said after the hearing. “Grayden has always been a real quiet type, but he also believes in being himself, being unique.”

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Person of interest in Platte County quadruple homicide appears in court."