Friends rally around family of Denver woman killed in double stabbing

Keith Rouse Jennifer Gelvin Rouse.jpeg

Friends of a local musician who was brutally killed just after midnight Wednesday are rallying to support her two teenaged children who lost their dad, Keith Rouse, to a heart attack just weeks before. 

Jennifer Gelvin Rouse, 49, and Katherine Pivoda, 33, were stabbed to death by Pivoda’s estranged husband at 2200 S. Marion St., according to arrest records. 

Matthew Madden, 36, was taken into custody and brought to Denver Health Medical Center with self-inflicted stab wounds to his neck, chest and arms, Denver police reported. The affidavit indicated Madden was in critical condition and he is not listed in any of the Denver jails as an inmate at this time.

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Early Wednesday morning, Denver Police responded to a 911 call from a neighbor who said he could hear a woman screaming “Get out, get out!” and then he reported that the voice stopped. The arrest affidavit states that Madden was holding a bloody knife, which he refused to drop until officers tased him. Once officers went outside into the backyard, they found the bodies of the two women. They were declared dead by the coroner at 12:30 a.m. 

The affidavit states that two children were sleeping inside the house during the attack.

Rouse, 49,  worked at School of Rock Denver and, along with her husband, who played trumpet had been a singer with the now defunct band, Fabulous Boogienauts.

“They were well-known throughout the Denver music community. They were great parents and we  are all in shock over the loss,” said School of Rock owner Jim Johnson.

He said that Jennifer taught vocal lessons at the school for ten years and directed the program for younger students. Her tragic death has hit the Colorado music community hard. “It’s pretty dark. It seems it’s not real but it’s very very real,” said Johnson. 

An April 2021 post on Keith Rouse’ Facebook page shows a photo of the couple smiling in a hug. “I’m very lucky,” he wrote. A GoFundMe started by concerned friends and family for the Rouse teenagers has raised over $60,000 as of this writing. 

A GoFundMe to support Pivoda’s two young children was also created, raising over $30,000 so far. 

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