Aspen kidnapping suspect sees request to modify bond conditions denied

An Aspen kidnapping suspect on Monday saw her request to cease wearing an ankle monitor and participating in random drug tests denied.

Pitkin County District Judge Laura Makar denied the request to modify suspect Vanessa Leighton’s bond conditions. She determined Leighton did not present any medical necessity to stop the random drug tests, and could pose an increased risk to the victim should she remove the ankle monitor and replace it with a monitoring phone app, as was requested. 

Leighton is accused with her co-defendant Nathan Keen of kidnapping, physically abusing, and forcibly driving Keen’s ex-girlfriend across various locations in Colorado between July 5 and 7, 2025, according to a police affidavit. Following their arrests in late July and early August, respectively, Leighton and Keen saw their bonds lowered and were both released, with the condition that they could not contact the victim in any way, must wear ankle monitors to track their whereabouts, submit to drug and alcohol tests, and more. 

“The change that’s being requested is presumed to be upon medical information that is undated, unverified,” Makar said of the request to drop drug tests from bond conditions. “And the conclusions that are drawn from that don’t appear to be supported.”

She added that the ankle monitoring system served to ensure public safety and safety of the victim, in particular.

“With respect to GPS monitoring, I don’t find that the phone monitoring serves the same purpose that the ankle monitoring serves,” she said. 

Public Defender Cameron Mackenzie, who is representing Leighton and made the request to modify bond conditions on her behalf, argued in favor of the switch from an ankle monitor to the monitoring app. He said the app is used by local community corrections, and that “the difference in cost is staggering.”

“We’re talking 10 times less,” Mackenzie said of switching from an ankle monitor to the monitoring app. 

He added that Leighton has been compliant with the drug tests, and apart from two
court-resolved “dilute tests” — drug tests too diluted to detect a drug, if present — Leighton’s drug tests have come back normal. That includes Leighton’s voluntary hair-follicle test, which did not detect any drugs in her system for the 90 preceding days, Mackenzie said. 

“I do think there’s good ground for modification of pre-trial services,” he said. 

The victim’s representation argued against both the modification of the ankle monitor and the cease of the drug tests, reminding the court that, at an earlier date, she had told the court her client had witnessed Leighton ingesting drugs on July 5, during the kidnapping. 

Mackenzie said, however, that the statement was never made to police and wasn’t present in the case affidavit. 

The victim’s representation also said a shift from an ankle monitor to a monitoring app would increase the victim’s fear for her safety. 

“I’d like to note that my client was threatened that if she disclosed what happened, she would be harmed,”  the attorney said of the victim. “She is the primary witness in this case. She’s already terrified of Mr. Keen and Ms. Leighton. If the ankle monitor is removed and they’re simply tracked through an app on a phone, she will fear even more for her safety.”

After ruling against the request to modify bond conditions, Makar asked attorneys when they thought they could be ready to make an offer and review a plea. 

District Attorney Audrey Adgate said she anticipated “the people” would have an offer for defense counsel in February. Mackenzie said he would need at least a month after receiving an offer before defense would be at a point to make “a reasonable decision in a case like this.”

Leighton will next appear in court on Feb. 2. 

Keen also appeared on Monday for a modification of his own bond conditions. But his attorney, Kathy Goudy, requested a continuance to Jan. 20, to give her and the prosecuting attorney time to exchange documents and discuss the request.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.