Splatter Punks

Who are the Splatter Punks?

1. Matt Nalty [pp.7542-7644] (originally identified as "Matt Christianson")
2. Matt Akard [No interview available]
3. Jim Brunetti [p.7434]

These three individuals were apprehended in a field next to Columbine High School around 2:00 p.m., investigated as suspects, and were later cleared by police.

Nalty was read his Miranda rights at 1406 by officer Moore and agreed to talk. He stated that he "sells cell phones at King Soopers" and arrived in Clement Park at 1350 after hearing about the shooting on the news. He said he lives in Broomfield and Akard and Brunetti live in the Northern part of the county. Nalty stated he picked them up and they all decided to come down to Columbine to see what was going on.

Nalty stated he drives a 1997 2-door hatchback white Ford Aspire. He said he parked by Swedish Hospital Clinic on Wadsworth and Bowles and walked over when he was contacted by law enforcement officers who took him into custody. (Source: p.7546-7547)

Matt Nalty [pp.7542-7644]

Nalty was originally identified as "Matt Christianson." He claims to have lived in the area around Columbine High School eight years before the massacre.

On page 9801 of the 11k, Nalty is listed as an associate of the TCM under Scott Erzen's reports:

Nalty, Matthew Joseph, dob/04-15-81

W/M 6'01" 175 BRO/BRO

SSN#unknown OLN#CO97-065-0591

5579 West 115th Avenue

Westminster, Colorado 80020

unknown phone Work: unknown

Erzen was told Nalty was an associate of Harris and Klebold.

Nalty and Brunetti took a polygraph test

Nalty and Brunetti were given polygraph examinations on May 3, 1999 as a condition of appearing on the Sally Jesse Raphael show.

Investigators requested these polygraph records from the company that administered them and found that Nalty gave truthful responses except for when asked if he had ever visited Harris or Klebold's website. His answer of "no" was inconclusive.

What's wrong with their polygraphs? Plenty

Nalty and Brunetti were given a generous "pass" on their polygraph examinations. The IO who requested their polygraph charts examined them and found that Nalty was deliberately altering his respiratory respiration and that the man who administered the polygraph to Brunetti was "generous" when scoring their tests, especially Brunetti's "direct involvement-you phase" chart. (Source: p.7545)

From Nalty's interview report:

Mr. Martin's report indicated that the relevant questions asked of both subjects in the Backster Direct Involvement "you phase" examination were:

a. Prior to the shootings at Columbine High School on April 20th, did you transport any guns or explosives into that school?

b. Did you yourself transport any guns or explosives into Columbine High School prior to the shootings on April 20th?

The relevant questions asked of both subjects in the Backster Exploratory examination were:

c.     Prior to April 20th, did you ever visit the Website of Harris and Klebold?

d.     Prior to April 20th, were you personally acquainted with either Dylan Klebold or Eric Harris?

e.     Prior to April 20th, did you know that the shootings at Columbine High School were gong to take place?

It was Mr. Martin's opinion that Matthew Nalty's "no" response to the relevant questions indicated for him to be answering truthful to them, all except for relevant question "c," which scored in the "inconclusive" range, Mr. Martin opined that Matthew Nalty was not deceptive in his response to any of the relevant questions.

It was Mr. Martin's opinion that James Brunetti's "no" responses to the relevant questions indicated for him to be answering truthfully to all of them.

After reviewing all of the polygraph charts from Matthew Nalty's examination, it is IO's opinion the subject appeared to be deliberately distorting his respiratory tracings in chart #1 and chart #2 of the exploratory examination and to relevant question #35 (b) on chart #2 in the direct involvement "you phase" examination. (Source: p.7544)

"It is the opinion of IO, after analyzing all of the polygraph charts and using a seven point scale in scoring Matthew Nalty's polygraph charts, that his responses to the relevant questions in the direct involvement examination were "inconclusive" and his responses to the relevant questions in the exploratory examination were truthful.

It is the opinion of IO, after analyzing all of the polygraph charts and using the seven point scale in scaring James Brunetti's polygraph charts, that his responses to the relevant questions in the direct involvement and the exploratory examinations were truthful.  However, it is IO's opinion that Mr. Martin is very generous to the subject in his scoring evaluation of all the tests, especially the direct involvement "you phase" charts." (Source: p.7545)

The Splatter Punks' story

According to their polygraph examination (Nalty and Brunetti), all three were at Brunetti's apartment when they heard about the shootings at Columbine from Brunetti's sister. They weren't students at Columbine, but said they had friends who went to the school and they decided to go to Columbine to see if their friends were okay. When they arrived and started walking toward the school, they were apprehended by police. They claim no knowledge of the incident.

Origin of "Splatterpunk"

According to Fangoria, the term "Splatterpunk" was coined in 1986 by David J. Schow at the Twelfth World Fantasy Convention in Providence, Rhode Island. It's a movement within the horror fiction genre that favors graphic and gory depictions of violence, including sexual violence. The idea of the Splatterpunk movement is to rebel against the way extreme violence is often merely implied, and show that violence instead. It's the most explicit gore you'll find in the horror genre.

Who saw the Splatter Punks?

Witnesses who may have seen the Splatter Punks at Columbine

• Nancy Lindsey [pp.976-980]
• Sally Hocker [pp.7510-7513]

Witnesses who saw the Splatter Punks after the shooting

Matt Lohrenz [p.1505]

From Lohrenz' interview:

"Matt said that he and Jen Weinman and Lauren Johnson, from the math hall, and his sister Stephanie (Lohrenz) drove over to the public library in Jen Weinman's car He said that they were outside the library and Man had seen his dad. Jim Lohrenz, and his older sister, Ashley Brenning and brother in law, Brian Brenning. Matt said that they were all standing around talking and he saw three people walking down Bowles., about 50 yards away He said that they were looking at the people and grinning. He said that he didn't see them laughing. He described one as wearing a plain white t-shirt, with red suspenders, carrying a black coat with an orange liner over his shoulders, possibly wearing black shorts. Matt described his hair as blonde in a pony tail. Matt said that the other two were about the same height and both had black coats, but he could not describe them any further.

Man Lohrenz said that he thought the three guys that were arrested on 04-20-99 were probably the same three he saw near the public library. He also thought that the one with the blonde pony tail was on the Sally Jesse Rafael show on 04-30-99. He said that he wasn't sure about the other two, because he really didn't get a good look at them." (Source: p.1505)