True crime cases in Colorado span decades of criminal history, from unsolved disappearances in rural communities to high-profile investigations in the state's largest cities. Colorado law enforcement agencies, from local police departments to the state bureau of investigation, have tackled cases ranging from cold-case homicides and serial offenders to fraud schemes and domestic violence tragedies. CaseSleuth tracks each Colorado case with comprehensive timelines, profiles of victims and persons of interest, evidence summaries, and links to media coverage and court documents. Browse the cases below to explore the full scope of criminal investigations in Colorado.
4 cases found
In the early hours of August 13, 2018, in Frederick, Colorado, Christopher Lee Watts murdered his pregnant wife Shanann (34) by strangulation, and their two children Bella (4) and Celeste (3) by suffocation. He buried Shanann in a shallow grave near an oil-storage facility, and forced his children's bodies into crude oil tanks, with the opening of the tanks only 8 inches in diameter.
In August 2006, John Mark Karr falsely confessed to the 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey while living in Bangkok. DNA evidence excluded him and all charges were dropped.
On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado before killing themselves.
On December 25, 1996, six‑year‑old JonBenét Patricia Ramsey was killed in her family's home at 755 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado. She was reported missing early on December 26, and her body was found about seven hours later in the basement of the house. Her skull had been fractured, and a garrote was tied around her neck. The autopsy determined that the cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma, and the case was ruled a homicide.