Aspen kidnapping suspect requests to cease random drug tests due to pregnancy 

A Pitkin County judge on Monday denied a suspect’s request to modify pretrial services, ruling that defendant Vanessa Leighton will remain subject to random drug testing despite being pregnant.

Defense attorneys argued that Leighton, who is accused alongside co-defendant Nathan Keen of kidnapping a woman for multiple days last summer, should be exempt from random drug testing. Her representation said her urine tests could be too diluted to yield proper results given her increased fluid intake during pregnancy.  

“What we’re suggesting to the court is that she now has special attention that she needs to pay to her health because she is surviving for two,” Leighton’s representation said. “The concern is that she may be prioritizing the risk of providing a dilute urine sample over staying hydrated and healthy for her unborn child.”

According to a police affidavit, Leighton and co-defendent Keen are accused of kidnapping, physically assaulting, and forcibly transporting Keen’s ex-girlfriend across multiple locations in Colorado between July 5 and 7, 2025. Following their arrests in late July and early August, the court lowered both defendants’ bonds and released them under strict conditions, prohibiting contact with the victim, mandating GPS ankle monitoring, drug, and alcohol testing, and more.

Vanessa Caro, who oversees pretrial services, told the court that those providing a urine sample for a drug test should not consume more than 40 ounces of fluids in the three hours preceding the test.

“Clients are advised to limit fluid intake before testing because excessive water can dilute a urine sample and affect lab accuracy,” Caro said. 

Pitkin County District Judge Laura Makar noted that other defendants have successfully completed testing while meeting pretrial requirements.

“I can tell you that I’ve had other individuals who have been on pretrial services who have had medical conditions which affect the amount of water that they need to consume, and they, frankly, managed to figure it out,” Makar said.

She further explained that overall daily hydration does not conflict with testing requirements, as long as intake is managed around the testing window.

District Attorney Audrey Adgate addressed the court on behalf of the prosecution, noting the history of the defense’s requests.

“The court has already acknowledged the prosecution’s concerns, which date back to November,” Adgate said. “Ms. Leighton has repeatedly asked the court to modify pretrial services, and this court has denied those requests.”

The victim appeared via Webex and told the court they agreed that Leighton should continue with regularly scheduled drug testing and comply with all pretrial services conditions.

“The court is not going to modify the pretrial services condition for Ms. Leighton, and she will continue to comply with random urine analysis,” Makar said. “If we end up with dilute samples, we’ll address that if and when it occurs.”

Leighton and her counsel are scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. on April 6.