In 1875, Lake City gained notoriety when Alferd Packer was charged with murder and cannibalism.
 Due to the nature of the crime, it was sensationalized and gained national attention.
 There are several differing accounts of the story, but according to one account Packer was acting as a guide for a party of five men prospecting in the San Juan Mountains when they became snowbound for the winter.

When he eventually came out of the mountains in the spring, he said the miners had abandoned him and he had nearly starved.
However, because he looked surprisingly healthy and first asked for whiskey rather than food, suspicions began to arise.
Five bodies that showed signs of cannibalism were found southeast of Lake City at the foot of Slumgullion Pass, and Packer was arrested and held in the Saguache jail, but escaped.
 He fled to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he remained until 1883 when he was again arrested and brought to Lake City for trial.
 He was convicted of killing one of the five men and sentenced to be hanged.
The Colorado Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 1885, but the following year Packer was retried, convicted again, and sentenced to 40 years.
 He was paroled and released in 1901.

The Hinsdale County Museum, in downtown Lake City, hosts the most extensive collection of Packer memorabilia known, including a skull fragment from one of his victims, a pair of shackles used on Alferd when he was in the Lake City jail, a number of buttons from the clothes of the five men he eventually ate, and dolls and the dollhouse Packer built while in the Lake City Jail.
 The area where the bodies were discovered is now known as Cannibal Plateau.

Packer is remembered by holding an annual Alferd Packer Jeep Tour and Barbecue.
 The cafeteria in the University of Colorado, Boulder student union is called the Alferd Packer Memorial Grill.
In 1875, Lake City gained notoriety when Alferd Packer was charged with murder and cannibalism.  Due to the nature of the crime, it was sensationalized and gained national attention.  There are several differing accounts of the story, but according to one account Packer was acting as a guide for a party of five men prospecting in the San Juan Mountains when they became snowbound for the winter.
When he eventually came out of the mountains in the spring, he said the miners had abandoned him and he had nearly starved. However, because he looked surprisingly healthy and first asked for whiskey rather than food, suspicions began to arise. Five bodies that showed signs of cannibalism were found southeast of Lake City at the foot of Slumgullion Pass, and Packer was arrested and held in the Saguache jail, but escaped.  He fled to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he remained until 1883 when he was again arrested and brought to Lake City for trial.  He was convicted of killing one of the five men and sentenced to be hanged. The Colorado Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 1885, but the following year Packer was retried, convicted again, and sentenced to 40 years.  He was paroled and released in 1901.
The Hinsdale County Museum, in downtown Lake City, hosts the most extensive collection of Packer memorabilia known, including a skull fragment from one of his victims, a pair of shackles used on Alferd when he was in the Lake City jail, a number of buttons from the clothes of the five men he eventually ate, and dolls and the dollhouse Packer built while in the Lake City Jail.  The area where the bodies were discovered is now known as Cannibal Plateau.
Packer is remembered by holding an annual Alferd Packer Jeep Tour and Barbecue.  The cafeteria in the University of Colorado, Boulder student union is called the Alferd Packer Memorial Grill.
Lake City, Colorado