Murder in Aspen, Colorado
In 1976, a high profile, tragic murder case shook the small mountain town.
Back in the 1970s, Aspen was not quite the upscale resort town that it is today. The town did have its fair share of famous residents, including singer John Denver, who wrote two songs about Aspen and author Hunter S. Thompson, probably best known for writing Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. However, Aspen was still a little known, close-knit small town. That was, until 1976, when a high profile murder case would catapult Aspen onto the world stage.
Along with Denver and Thompson, Aspen was the home of Olympic skier Spider Sabich. Whilst today, unlike Denver and Thompson, Spider Sabich may not be a name that most recognize, but back in the 1960s and 1970s, Spider was pretty well-known in the United States, especially in Aspen.
Vladimir Peter Sabich Jr., was born on January 10th 1954 in Sacramento, California. His premature birth left him with thin arms and legs, hence the nickname Spider. At an early age, spider developed a talent for skiing and after graduation, was offered a scholarship at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Spider went on to compete on the world circuit and also at the Olympic Games in 1968, placing 5th. Spider also helped popularize skiing in the United States, he featured on the front cover of the November 1974 issue of GQ magazine, and he is said to have been the inspiration for the movie Downhill Racer released in 1969. Spider moved to Aspen in 1971 and built a home in the exclusive gated community of Starwood.
Spider was Aspen’s most popular resident. He was young, attractive and had a charismatic personality. He was the hero of Aspen and their most eligible bachelor. However, in 1972, Spider caught the eye of a young French beauty named Claudine Longet.
Spider and Claudine quickly became an item and two years later, in 1974, Claudine along with her 3 children moved into Spider’s Aspen home. Whilst today, Claudine Longet may not be a household name, back in the 1960s and 1970s, she was quite the star. However, rather than being well known for her talent as a singer and actress, she was perhaps more widely known for being the ex-wife of singer Andy Williams.
