BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) — Investigators are hoping new images will help solve a cold case. The skeletal remains of a man were found near Gregory Canyon in Boulder County in 1993.

An examination indicated the man was Caucasian, aged 25-45, and was about 5-foot-5. He was wearing Levi blue jeans, a white shirt and white tennis shoes. He had shoulder-length dark blond to light brown hair. His teeth were in poor condition. He may also have been suffering from anemia, investigators stated.

Chemical isotope testing suggests he was born in the Southeastern United States and likely lived in southern Florida or central Texas. He did not appear to be native to Colorado.

Longmont Police Department’s Community Services Officer Beth Buchholtz completed a facial reconstruction with and without a beard.

(credit: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office)

(credit: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office)

The University of South Florida also completed a facial approximation.

(credit: Boulder County Sheriff’s Office)

Anyone who might have information as to the possible identify is asked to contact Laurissa Lampi, with the Boulder County Coroner’s Office at 303-441-3535 or llampi@bouldercounty.org.

SALIDA, Colo. (CBS4)– Law enforcement officials in Chaffee County are applauding the news that 11th Judicial District Attorney Molly Chilson intends to resign next month. They believe a change at the top of that office could spark progress in a decades-old murder case.

Beverly England (credit: Bricia Patterson)

Chilson has refused to bring the case of Beverly England to a grand jury, citing financial reasons. That has stalled the case that investigators say is ready to move forward with a suspect identified that they believe is responsible for the homicide.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office began an aggressive renewed investigation in the death of England, a 32-year-old Colorado mother who disappeared 39 years ago. She was last seen in 1980 in Salida.

(credit: Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)

The cold case became active in 2015 when DNA proved bones found years ago in a mountainous area were in fact those of England.

England’s husband reported her missing after she failed to return to their Salida home. He was publicly cleared in the case.

Since that time, investigators have zeroed in on suspects in the San Luis Valley, although they have not been publicly identified.

(credit: Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)

Chaffee County Sheriff John Speeze has been public in his frustration with Chilson in previous interviews with CBS4, and says a change in the office could allow the stalled case to move forward.

(credit: CBS)

“I just feel like the prosecutor’s office wasn’t on board with it,” said Speeze.

England’s family tells CBS4 they have been frustrated with the decision to not bring the case before a jury.

CBS4’s Matt Kroschel interviews Bricia Patterson (credit: CBS)

“It was devastating, very devastating, we had our hopes up in the same person that gave us those high hopes washed them away. I don’t know why she did, but now maybe we have a chance,” said England’s daughter Bricia Patterson.

They say justice could be in reach if whoever Gov. Jared Polis appoints to the position “has the guts” to take the case.

(credit: Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)

Chilson told CBS4 Friday that it is, “time for me to seek a new career path, dynamics of the job have changed.”

“There are so many factors out of our control while funding remains the same,” Chilson added.

Beverly England (credit: Bricia Patterson)

She says part of the job is being able to handle criticism and she welcomed that from the time she took office.

“Part of the job to be criticized and take it graciously, I’m not leaving because of criticism relating to any one case,” Chilson said.

(credit: CBS)

The governor will appoint someone to fill the role for the remainder of her term, which is two years. Chilson is a Republican, and it is not clear who will replace her at this time.

In her letter of resignation, Chilson states she is willing to step down before June 8, if someone can be appointed.

(CBS4) – Jeffrey Beier, a 46-year-old man, is in custody in Russia and faces murder charges in the disappearance of his girlfriend Charlene Voight in Colorado. Voight, of Littleton, was 36 when she went missing nearly four years ago and her body was never found.

Jeffrey Beier (file photo credit: Littleton Police)

A grand jury in Arapahoe County handed down an indictment of Beier last year but the news wasn’t made public until Monday, when it was announced that Beier was arrested overseas.

Charlene Voight (credit: CBS)

According to Voight’s sister, the last time Voight had a phone conversation with family was in the summer of 2016. Voight had recently moved to Littleton from southern California and just mysteriously disappeared one day. Her car was found in a dirt lot owned by Beier that was used to store roll-off containers. The lot was not far from the couple’s apartment. A landfill search for her body was unsuccessful.

During an investigation into Voight’s disappearance, Beier was arrested for an unrelated sex assault that was discovered and bonded out of jail. Court documents obtained by CBS4 four years ago showed a rocky relationship between the two. In 2012, Voight filed for a restraining order claiming she was “scared for her life” and that she had been slapped, choked and dragged.

Charlene Voight and Jeff Beier (credit: Facebook)

New court documents indicate Beier moved to Russia sometime after Voight’s disappearance and married a woman there and had a baby with her. They state that he was violent towards the woman several times and wound up having an affair with another woman.

So far it’s unclear when Beier will be brought back to the United States for a formal court hearing in Arapahoe County.

Littleton Police Chief Doug Stephens said in a prepared statement that his is “proud to be able to tell the family of Miss Voight that the men and women of my department worked for four years to see this day.”

“My heart goes out to them, knowing that they are mourning the loss of their sister and daughter. I hope this arrest is a step that will help them move toward healing.”

WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) — Sheryl “Sherry” Parker, disappeared 24 years ago after checking into the Budget Host Motel in Del Camino. The 41-year-old woman from Fort Collins was divorcing her husband and investigators say she was at the motel to “distance herself” from him. That was July 17, 1996.

Sherry Parker (credit: Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

Nine days later, her body was found in the St. Vrain River. The Weld County Coroner determined Sherry died of blunt force trauma and her death was ruled a homicide.

Sherry’s husband, Glenn Edward “Ed” Parker was the main suspect in the investigation. The sheriff’s office says he hired an attorney immediately after his wife’s body was found and has refused to be interviewed by law enforcement about her death.

Sherry Parker (credit: Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

Investigators say Ed lives in unincorporated Weld County and is now married to one of Sherry’s close friends.

“Due to a lack of cooperation by Ed, investigators are hopeful someone who knew the couple 24 years ago might know or remember something and come forward with new information,” the sheriff’s office stated.

Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is asked to call the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 356-4015 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) — A body found in the forest nearly 30 years ago has finally been identified as Rebecca “Becky” Redeker, a 20-year-old woman who spent most of her life in Colorado Springs. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating her death and wants to speak to anyone who knew her.

Rebecca “Becky” Redeker (credit: CBS)

On June 15, 1993, deputies were called to an area between Woodland Park and Deckers in the Pike San Isabel National Forest on a report of a body at a makeshift campsite.

Unable to identify the remains, she was buried as Jane Doe at a cemetery in Castle Rock.

(credit: CBS)

“Over the years the case had been looked at several times to see if any new investigative tools may assist in identifying the remains,” the sheriff’s office stated.

Back in 2012, investigators unearthed her grave and exhumed her remains to extract DNA. It was entered into a national database, but there were no matches at the time.

(credit: CBS)

In 2013, a Miami-based forensic artist produced a composite drawing of what they believed “Jane Doe” may have looked like.

(credit: Douglas County Coroner)

In January, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office retained United Data Connect to sequence the DNA sample from Jane Doe and conduct investigative genetic genealogy analysis. Results from the DNA sequencing were received in March 2020. Over 61 family trees of DNA matches from GEDmatch were built before her birth father was identified on May 14.

Undersheriff Holly Nichols was originally assigned to the case in 1993.

“As a new detective in 1993 I had no idea that this case would haunt me for 27 years,” Nichols said during a news conference Thursday. “I’m just so thankful that this part has been solved, that over all of this time there’s now a family that we know this girl belong to, and she is someone she’s no longer are Jane Doe. So thank God for that.”

Becky’s family now knows where their daughter and sister is, but investigators are determined to learn who killed her.

“I don’t know if I would call it relief, I would call it a reigniting of sadness,” said Sheriff Tony Spurlock. They are still actively working a death investigation case and attempting to gather information from anyone who may have known her.

Becky went to high school in Manitou Springs from 1985 to 1988 and attended Coronado High School in Colorado Springs in 1989. Detectives want to talk to anyone who knew her and who she may have been spending time with in the summer of 1993.

Rebecca “Becky” Redecker (credit: CBS)

“I cannot stress enough that if you knew anyone, or you knew Becky, or you had anything connected in Becky’s life, please call our office, and help us identify the suspect, or suspects that were responsible for her death, and leaving her body, in the National Forest, without a name for all these years,” Sheriff Spurlock said Thursday.

The cause of death remains undetermined.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of her killer.

RELATED: James Curtis Clanton Arrested In 1980 Murder Of Helene Pruszynski

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4)– The Grand Junction Police Department says a 45-year-old cold case has been solved. The investigation involved the homicide of 19-year-old Deborah Tomlinson.

It was Dec 27, 1975 when Grand Junction Police officers responded to an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Belford Avenue. A caller had said a woman was dead inside one of the units. Officers found Tomlinson, who had been bound, sexually assaulted, and strangled.

Deborah Tomlinson (credit: Grand Junction Police)

Detectives were unable to find enough evidence and the case went cold. In 2019, the homicide case was given a fresh look by detectives.

In 2020 police sought the services of Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company in Virginia.

In Tomlinson’s case, Parabon analyzed a genetic data profile created from the unknown crime scene DNA sample and compared the results to a public genetic genealogy database. Parabon was able to narrow down the possibilities before a final list of leads was produced.

The Grand Junction Police Department then used traditional police work to identify Jimmy Dean Duncan as a suspect. Detectives obtained DNA from one of Duncan’s relatives and submitted the sample for comparison with the original DNA evidence that was found at the crime scene. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the DNA samples matched.

Duncan was not identified as a suspect in the investigation prior to Parabon’s findings. Duncan, a Colorado native who was 26 at the time of the murder, died in 1987.

(CBS4) – There are some wounds that never heal. One of those is losing a father.

“There’s probably not a single day that we don’t think about him,” said Sheila Carpenter Barela.

Almost 50 years ago, on Dec. 27, 1973, Colorado State Troopers visited Sheila’s childhood home. They were there with news about her father — Thomas Carpenter — to give his wife.

(credit: Rocky Mountain News)

“I recall her saying ‘He’s dead isn’t he?’” Sheila told CBS4.

It left a hole in their family that will never be filled.

“He has grandchildren and great grandchildren and none of them ever had any type of relationship with him,” Sheila said.

Thomas was a state trooper. He was working the Interstate 25 corridor just north of Denver. He stopped a car that turned out to be stolen. That’s when he was ambushed by two men.

Thomas Carpenter (credit: Denver)

“I think one of them walked up in front of them, walked up behind him and that’s what they did, they wrestled him to the ground, took his gun and forced him to drive away,” said Ken Sniff, a former Colorado State trooper and friend of Thomas.

The two men, one white and one Black, forced Thomas to drive to Denver’s Montbello neighborhood. They stopped in the parking lot of some apartments, then did the unthinkable.

“He was murdered. He was shot four times in the back of the head,” said Col. Matt Packard of the Colorado State Patrol.

(credit: Denver)

The suspects have never been caught. The only break in the case Denver police has had over the years is Thomas’ gun was found in New Mexico for some reason. Other than that, the case has gone cold.

Now, they are asking for help solving the case so they can give the Carpenter family some type of closure.

“Forty seven years later I hope and pray all the time that there will be some resolution and with that possibly justice,” said Cory Carpenter, Thomas’s son.

If you remember this crime or have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

DENVER (CBS4) – A 57-year-old man who was extradited from Mexico and is charged in the 1998 murder of his Denver girlfriend appeared in court on Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. Crespin Nene-Perez is accused of killing Bonny Baker, who was 47 when she died.

(credit: Denver Police)

Baker went missing on June 30, 1998, and the investigation into her disappearance eventually went cold. Her body was actually found in a shallow grave south of the Colorado-New Mexico border the following year, but at the time it wasn’t clear it was her. Two boys riding horses in a remote area on Navajo tribal grounds found a skull and reported it to authorities.

Approximately 15 years later, Denver investigators reopened the case and after extensive research concluded that those remains were in fact Baker’s. The Denver District Attorney’s Office says it is believed she had been buried in that spot the day after she had been reported as missing.

“In 2013, a Denver cold case detective completed a further round of witness interviews and forensic testing and concluded, based on that evidence, that there were sufficient grounds to arrest Mr. Nene-Perez,” the DA’s office wrote in a news release on Wednesday.

A warrant was then issued for Nene-Perez’s arrest, but he was living in Mexico at the time. The extradition to Colorado didn’t happen until just recently.

The DA’s office didn’t say exactly how they think Nene-Perez committed the crime or where exactly it took place. He faces a first degree murder charge and a kidnapping charge.

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) – Police in Littleton are still searching for information into the murders of three people at the AMF Broadway Lanes Bowling Alley in 2002. Police believe it is “highly likely” that someone knows what happened that night.

“Littleton, Colorado is a close knit community where multiple generations of families have raised their children,” said Police Chief Doug Stephens. “Because there is such a strong sense of community in Littleton, what happens to one is often felt by all.”

(credit: CBS)

The FBI said their agency is dedicated to helping solve this case. They said they will follow every lead and use every resource available until those responsible are captured.

“No piece of information is too small. We have the ability to identify those who have inadvertently, may have inadvertently been involved, and now is the time for them to come forward. We are asking for your cooperation. If you have any information, please contact us, even if you feel doing so only anonymously,” said Charge Michael Schneider, FBI Special Agent In Charge Colorado.

(credit: CBS)

On Jan. 27, 2002, James Springer, 30, Robert Zajac, 24, and Erin Golla, 27, were shot to death inside the bowling alley, which was closed at the time. They were confronted by the shooter who was apparently connected to a previous robbery attempt. Springer and Golla worked at the bowling alley and Zajac was an employee at a different bowling alley. They were getting ready to leave for the night after closing when they were shot.

“Cases once thought unsolvable are now within reach thanks to advances in DNA analysis and genealogy,” Schneider said at a news conference. “The families of James, Erin, and Robert are counting on those with information to come forward.” 

Investigators said that Golla had called a friend for a ride home at 11:40 p.m. About 10 minutes later, police said that “a middle-aged white male with a bald head and medium build was seen exiting the bowling alley, wearing a dark-colored, below-the-knee trench coat.” He was observed getting into a dark-colored late model pickup truck and leaving the area to the south.

“Erin, James and Robert were discovered at 11:55 p.m. by Erin’s friend,” Stephens said. “This community, especially the families of James, Erin and Robert deserve answers. We have agents, and detectives working diligently on this case, who are following up on every lead and tip that we receive. We will use every available resource and investigative method, technology and technology toward our unified goal, seeking justice.”

(credit: CBS)

Detectives said that no piece of information is too small and that even if that information doesn’t seem significant, it may be an important missing piece to solving the murder.

“It is not too late to come forward. We’re asking for your cooperation for those individuals who have information about this incident, but who have not yet spoken to law enforcement or believe their information may be insignificant, please contact us, even anonymously, and allow investigators to make that determination,” said Stephens.

In 2015, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation distributed a special deck of playing cards at jails around the state that had cards featuring victims of unsolved Colorado crimes. Springer, Zajac and Golla were featured in the deck. The goal was for the cards to lend a hand in solving a cold case.

“Rest assured that as advances in DNA technology that have led to cold case success in solving the 1980 murder of Helene Pruszynski in Douglas County, like capturing and convicting the Golden State Killer in California, those same advances in technology are being brought to bear on this case, and this is your opportunity if you know something, if you think you know something. Call step up to the plate. Make your voice be heard and help solve this crime,” said John Kellner, District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District.

(credit: CBS)

Anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). You can text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter your message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com. If the information you provide leads to the arrest and charging of a wanted individual, you can receive a cash reward up to $2,000.

“We recognize relationships change over time as do people and their perspectives. it is not too late to come forward,” Stephens said. “The Littleton community grows stronger because of your compassionate cooperation and assistance.”

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)– What happened to Vicki Carpenter 36 years ago remains a mystery. The 24-year-old’s body was discovered in the Cherry Creek spillway about 6 weeks after she was last seen in 1985. What Happened To Vicki Carpenter Remains A Mystery 36 Years Later

On the evening of Feb. 18, 1985, Vicki went to Knicks Restaurant and Saloon located at 7800 E. Hampden Ave., to participate in a fashion contest. About midnight, she left and headed home but never showed up.

Her mother, who had been on the phone all night trying to locate her, reported her missing the next day.

Vicki Carpenter (credit: Arapahoe County)

Witnesses at Knicks said they saw Vicki get into her white and maroon 1967 Buick by herself. The car was later found abandoned and disabled in a parking lot of an apartment complex about a half mile east of Knicks.

Vicki’s family knew something terrible happened because she would never leave her 3-year-old son or family.

On April 2, 1985, some children who had been fishing discovered Vicki’s partially submerged body floating in the Cherry Creek spillway.

Anyone with information regarding what happened to Vicki is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). You can text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter your message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com. If the information you provide leads to the arrest and charging of a wanted individual, you can receive a cash reward up to $2,000.

PARK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)– Park County authorities announced a major development in a 39-year-old cold case on Wednesday. Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw announced that Alan Lee Phillips was arrested in the 1982 kidnapping, assault and homicides of Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee.

Alan Lee Phillips (credit: CBI)

Phillips, 70, was arrested last month in Clear Creek County and taken to the Park County Jail where he remains in custody on first-degree kidnapping, assault and homicide charges.

Phillips was arrested in Clear Creek County because that’s where he was living on Feb. 24.

Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee (credit: CBI)

Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee were believed to be hitchhiking separately from Breckenridge to Park County on Jan. 6, 1982 when they were killed. The women’s deaths rocked Summit and Park counties, and their killer had not been found until now.

Both women had been shot, their bodies left in the snow. Olberholtzer’s body was found on the summit of Hoosier Pass the day after her disappearance. Schnee’s body was located six months after her disappearance in a rural area in Park County in July 1982.

The case got a big break from forensic genetic genealogy investigators in 2020 to identify a potential suspect in the case.

“That investigation resulted in investigative leads potentially connecting Alan Phillips to these cases. We began investigative work that’s been going on for the past six weeks with agents from CBI, we greatly appreciate their assistance, the FBI also we greatly appreciate their assistance, and the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Albert, we definitely appreciate him,” said McGraw. “This arrest is the culmination of technology, extraordinary police work, and an unwavering commitment to justice for Bobbie Jo, Annette and their families.”

Surveillance crews began their investigation about 5 weeks ago before officers moved in on Phillips. He was taken into custody during a traffic stop.

An earlier photo of Alan Lee Phillips (credit: CBI)

Phillips had been living in Clear Creek County and was a semi-retired mechanic. He has lived in other areas of Colorado but isn’t believed to have lived much outside of Colorado.

As for whether Phillips may be connected to other unsolved crimes, investigators said they will continue to follow up.

“Anybody that can commit a crime like this of killing these two beautiful women, I think could have the tendency to commit other violent acts. But we’re following up on everything,” said McGraw.

For that reason, authorities have released a photo of Phillips from when he was younger and set up a tip line about the 1982 murders or any information related to the suspect: 720.248.8378.

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4) — The Weld County Sheriff’s Office announced an arrest in 1979 homicide. James Dye, 64, is now behind bars in the death of Kay Day.

Kay Day (credit: Weld County Sheriff)

Kay Day was reported missing in 1979. She was a business lab monitor working nights at Aims Community College, and was last seen locking up her office.

The next morning her husband, Stanley “Chuck” Day, realized she never returned home. He filed a missing persons report.

On Nov. 27, 1979 Kay was found dead in a vehicle parked on the side of the road near her office.

Day had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled by a cloth belt from her own overcoat.

Weld County Cold Case Detective Byron Kastilahn was assigned to the case and was able to link Dye to Day. He was a student at the time and frequented the same areas Day did.

James Dye (credit: Weld County Sheriff)

Kastilahn said Dye was allegedly linked to the death with modern DNA testing.

Dye was arrested earlier this week and is currently in custody in Hayes, Kansas awaiting extradition.

James Dye (credit: Weld County Sheriff)

The case was the oldest unsolved homicide investigation in the Weld County Sheriff’s Office’s cold case files.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – Metro Denver Crime Stoppers increased the reward for information in the murder of Marilee Burt more than five decades ago. The 15-year-old girl was walking home from a basketball game at Goddard Junior High School in Littleton in 1970.

Marilee Burt (credit: Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)

Authorities say Marilee was seen in her cheerleading outfit and talking to someone in a car on South Middlefield Road. Then she disappeared.

The next day, her naked body was found by a road crew at Deer Creek Canyon. Authorities say she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death.

Marilee Burt (credit: Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)

The reward now stands at $30,000.

“This is not a cold case by any means. Every year we receive several tips on this case and we are hoping with the generosity of the anonymous donors that we will finally be able to identify who perpetrated this horrific crime against Marilee” said Michael Mills, Metro Denver Crime Stoppers Board President.

Marilee Burt (credit: Metro Denver Crime Stoppers)

Authorities say they collected DNA evidence from the scene, but it hasn’t matched with any suspect in local or federal databases.

If you have more information about this case, you’re asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers (720) 913-7867 or submit a tip online.

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)– The FBI is actively investigating the murders of three people nearly 20 years ago at a bowling alley in Littleton. The murders happened at the AMF Broadway Lanes Bowling Alley in 2002.

(credit: CBS)

Earlier this year, the FBI said their agency is dedicated to helping solve this case. They said they will follow every lead and use every resource available until those responsible are captured.

(credit: CBS)

On Jan. 27, 2002, James Springer, 30, Robert Zajac, 24, and Erin Golla, 27, were shot to death inside the bowling alley, which was closed at the time. They were confronted by the shooter who was apparently connected to a previous robbery attempt. Springer and Golla worked at the bowling alley and Zajac was an employee at a different bowling alley. They were getting ready to leave for the night after closing when they were shot.

(credit: CBS)

On Tuesday, agents searched part of the Platte River near Interstate 270 between York and Vasquez.

The reward in the case has climbed to $30,000.

DENVER (CBS4) – In 1981, Aurora teenager Antoinette Parks had her whole life took look forward to. She was high school student who attended Gateway High School in Aurora.

“She was young vivacious, she loved children, she was a good student,” said her brother George Journey.

Antoinette Parks (credit: DPD)

He and their brother Karl Journey say they think she would have eventually opened up her own daycare.

“If you brought your kid over to be watched, you probably weren’t getting them back,” said George.

She was pregnant with a child of her own and her family says she was excited to begin her family and finish school, but she never got that chance. She was stabbed to death in January of 1981. Denver Police say Joe Ervin killed her and at least 3 other women.

Another one of his victims was 33-year-old mother of 2 Madeleine Livaudais. She was at her northeast Denver home when Ervin came to her door and confronted her. The suspect then forced his way inside her home and stabbed her to death.

Madeleine Furey-Livaudais (credit: DPD)

Her family says she was a writer and an editor on the beloved children’s magazine, Ranger Rick.

Her daughters Molly and Ariel Livaudais say Joe Ervin robbed them of their life with their mother.

“We didn’t get to grow up with her and hear her stories and witness the contributions she would have made to the world,” said Molly.

Those were just 2 of his 4 victims. Denver police call Ervin a serial killer who took the lives of 4 women in 3 years between 1978 and 1981.

Joe Ervin in 1981 (credit: CBS)

He killed 53-year-old Dolores Barajas in 1980 when she was walking to work. According to the CBI cold cases website, she was working in Denver temporarily at a hotel in Downtown Denver and was preparing to return home to El Paso, Texas when she was killed.

Ervin killed 27-year-old Gwendolyn Harris in December of that same year. According to Denver police, she was found stabbed to death on the corner of E. 47^th Avenue and Andrews Drive in Denver. She was last seen the night before at the Polo Club Lounge located in downtown Denver. Police say Harris was found within a “one-block vicinity of Joe Ervin’s residence at the time of the murder.”

Gwendolyn Harris (credit: DPD)

Ervin’s reign of terror came to an end when he was pulled over by Aurora Police officer Debra Sue Corr on June 27, 1981. She was his final victim. Ervin broke free as she attempted to arrest and handcuff him. Ervin then took Corr’s weapon and shot her.

Aurora Police Officer Debra Sue Corr (credit: CBS)

As this was happening, Aurora Police Explorer Scout Glen Spies was passing by and tried to intervene. Spies was shot in the back but survived.

Aurora Police Explorer Scout Glen Spies in 1981 (credit: CBS)

Ervin was arrested at his home in Aurora as he tried to saw the handcuffs from his wrist. Officer Corr was the first Aurora police officer killed in the line of duty and she was married to a Denver police officer at the time of her murder.

“With her sacrifice she prevented him from killing anyone else,” said Molly Livaudais

Ervin killed himself while in custody soon afterward.

Denver Police say DNA science solved this case. As early as 2013 officers began linking the cases. Then through a genealogical DNA search they identified Ervin as a possible suspect and then gathered DNA from his exhumed body to confirm it.

The families of Antoinette Parks and Madeleine Livaudais are grateful.

“It is a great relief to our family to finally have this resolution,” said Molly Livaudais

“We finally got the closure for you and for us and it’s just wonderful,” said George Journey.

DENVER (CBS4) – Denver police have identified a serial killer who murdered five women more than 40 years ago: Joe Michael Ervin. Four murders were unsolved and the families of those victims have lived with uncertainty for decades.

Joe Ervin in 1981 (credit: CBS)

DPD revealed in a news conference on Friday morning that DNA evidence and genealogy helped investigators link the cold cases together.

Police say Ervin killed four women between 1978 and 1981. Those four female victims are as follows:

Madeleine Furey-Livaudais (credit: DPD)

– Madeleine Furey-Livaudais, 33. She was stabbed to death at her home on Poplar Street in Denver on Dec. 7, 1978

– Delores Barajas, 53. On Aug. 10, 1980, her body was found lying in the street on the 500 block of East 17th Avenue after being stabbed to death.

Gwendolyn Harris (credit: DPD)

– Gwendolyn Harris, 27. On Dec. 21, 1980, her body was found lying in the street near East 47th Avenue and Andrews Drive in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood after being stabbed to death.

Antoinette Parks (credit: DPD)

– Antoinette Parks, 17. On Jan. 24, 1981, Adams County deputies found her body in a field near 64th Avenue and Broadway. She had been stabbed multiple times.

(credit: CBS)

The killings stopped when Debra Sue Corr, an Aurora police officer, pulled Ervin over in June 1981. Ervin used her own to gun to kill her in what was the first line-of-duty death for the Aurora Police Department. Soon after that Ervin took his own life while in custody on murder charges.

Initially investigators were working on each cold case separately. But eventually DNA evidence helped them link the four victims to the same killer. Next, they used DNA to find a living family member of the suspect.

(credit: CBS)

Next, they exhumed the body of the suspect and used DNA to confirm he had killed the four women.

In a news release, Denver police described that sequence of events as follows:

– Between 2013 and 2018, these four cases were linked together by DNA evidence, and three separate searches for familial links in Colorado occurred during this time.
– The Denver Police Crime Laboratory began in-house Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) work in 2019, which led to a positive ancestry link to Texas.
– A familial search was conducted in Texas in the summer of 2021, which resulted in the identification of a close biological relative of the yet unidentified suspect.
– Investigators identified Joe Ervin as a potential suspect, and an exhumation of his remains was conducted in Texas in late 2021 to obtain DNA samples for direct comparison to the crime scene evidence.
– The identity of Joe Ervin as the suspect in these four related murders was confirmed through DNA analysis in January of 2022.

The daughters of Furey-Livaudais and the brothers of Parks were present for the announcement on Friday and spoke to reporters. They said they were experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions after finding out who killed their family member.

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