Small-Town Police Chief in Colorado Faces Scandal as Stepson Charged with Violent Rape

A scandal is brewing in a quiet Colorado town as the police chief’s teenage stepson stands accused of a brutal rape. Adding to the chaos, a local newspaper that reported on the allegations had its copies stolen from racks. The Ouray County Plaindealer was the first to break the news about the arrest of Ouray Police Chief Jeff Wood’s stepson, Nate Dieffenderffer, along with co-defendants Gabriel Trujillo and Ashton Whittington.

Last month, these three teenagers were apprehended on warrants for suspected felony sexual assault. The charges stem from disturbing allegations that they violently and repeatedly raped a 17-year-old girl in Wood’s home in May. Shockingly, these crimes took place while the police chief and other family members slept, adding another layer of horror to the situation.

The Plaindealer’s cover story on the charges was met with an unexpected setback. Almost every copy of the newspaper was stolen from racks throughout Ouray County, leaving co-publisher Mike Wiggins outraged. Despite this setback, Wiggins vowed to continue reporting on the case and expressed his determination to identify those responsible for the theft.

The Ouray County Plaindealer was the first to report the arrests. Nearly every copy of the issue was stolen from racks around Ouray County following the report

The Plaindealer, led by co-publisher Erin McIntyre, published a detailed report on the sexual assault allegations. The report cited graphic content from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation affidavit. According to the 17-year-old victim, she was violently assaulted at least three times on May 14, 2023. Two different individuals took turns raping her in a bedroom and bathroom while she screamed and fought back.

At the time of the assault, one of the perpetrators, Ashton Whittington, had just turned 18, and they were celebrating his birthday. Gabriel Trujillo, 19, and Nate Dieffenderffer, who was days away from turning 18, were the other individuals involved. The victim reported that she had consumed some alcoholic beverages before passing out on a bed in Dieffenderffer’s home.

Upon regaining consciousness, the victim discovered herself undressed and Nate Dieffenderffer on top of her, engaging in non-consensual intercourse. Despite her resistance, she was restrained, and one of the rapists laughed while the other looked on, seemingly horrified but failing to intervene.

In a horrifying turn of events, she was then taken to a bathroom where she was raped by two different individuals. The victim vividly recalls screaming in pain and attempting to draw attention, only to pass in and out of consciousness. She even chipped a tooth when her head was forcefully held down against the bathroom floor. After regaining consciousness once more, she fled the house at around 4:30 am, unable to locate her clothes. She grabbed a sweatshirt from a pile of laundry, which was later identified as belonging to Police Chief Wood.

Distressed, the victim confided in a friend and sought medical help. On the same day, she underwent a sexual assault examination at a local hospital, during which crucial evidence was collected. Initially, the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office received the report, but due to potential conflicts of interest, the case was later transferred to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators made significant progress in gathering evidence, with DNA samples from a vaginal swab matching Gabriel Trujillo and genetic material recovered from a bite mark linking Nate Dieffenderffer to the crime. During interviews with investigators, Trujillo claimed that the sexual relationship between him, Dieffenderffer, and the victim had been consensual in the past. He maintained that he was only a witness on the night of the assault, stating that Dieffenderffer and the victim emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, fully dressed and seemingly unharmed. Trujillo even went as far as to label the victim a “pathological liar” seeking attention.

Currently, Trujillo, Dieffenderffer, and Whittington are out on bail and have not provided any comments regarding the charges. Police Chief Jeff Wood, who has not been implicated in the case or accused of any wrongdoing, did not respond to inquiries from DailyMail.com.

Despite the obstacles faced by the Plaindealer, the dedicated husband-and-wife team of Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre remain committed to covering the case. They have called on supporters of local journalism to contribute to a Report for America campaign that helps fund the newspaper’s operations.

Established in 1877, the Plaindealer proudly claims to be Colorado’s second-oldest continuously publishing newspaper. It serves the local community of Ouray County, nestled amidst the stunning landscapes of the state’s western slope and home to approximately 4,874 residents. Wiggins and McIntyre, both former reporters for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, acquired the Plaindealer in 2019. Not only do they manage the business, but they also contribute extensively to the publication’s content.

In a 2021 interview, the couple emphasized their belief in the importance of good journalism, particularly in smaller communities. Amidst a landscape of newspapers falling victim to profit-driven strategies, newsrooms being gutted, and presses halting their operations, Wiggins and McIntyre made a bold investment in the Plaindealer, doubling down on their commitment to local journalism.