Police: Colo. theater victims’ families harassed

An Oregon man accused of harassing at least a dozen families of the victims of the Aurora theater shootings has pleaded not guilty to charges of telephone harassment and stalking.

Kevin Purfield had the plea entered for him Thursday in a Portland courtroom. The judge set Purfield’s bail at $100,000 and appointed him an attorney.

Aurora police say the 45-year-old contacted victims by email, social media and phone calls, and told them the killings didn’t happen or the caskets of victims were empty.

Portland police said they’d had previous contacts with Purfield, including one instance Sgt. Pete Simpson described as a “mental health hold.”