George A. Hardy was born in Louviers, CO June 10, 1910. He grew up in Denver, attending Manual High School where he met his future wife, Carmella Bombino. They were married in July 1931. They had two children, George L. and Gloria.
The senior Hardy was a truck driver who retired in the early ’70s. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family. An avid coin collector, he would drop his 5-year-old granddaughter at school, then visit some banks looking for coins for his collection until a couple hours later when it was time to retrieve the little girl from school.
George A. Hardy was a sports fan. Some described him as “spunky” or even “feisty.”
Late afternoon of December 8, 1977, Mrs. Hardy came home from work and was making dinner. George was in the bathroom. Granddaughter Michelle announced, “Grandma, there’s two men in the house. They’ve got guns and they’re going to shoot us!”
As reported in the Thornton Sentinel, George joined his frightened wife and granddaughter and said to the robbers, “If you tell me what you want, I’ll be glad to give it to you.”
The robbers ransacked the China cabinet then headed twoard the bedroom where George kept his prized coin collection. George jumped up, wrestled with one of the robbers, hit one over the head with a stool.
A shot rang out, then Hardy was lying on the floor. “I didn’t know you were going to kill him,” one of the bandits said to the shooter. Both of the intruders ran out the door and left the area in a dark pickup.
The robbers wore gloves and ski masks, foiling the search for fingerprints and making descriptions difficult.
If you have any information regarding this unsolved murder, please call Detective Doug Parker, 720-977-5080.