Fremont County John Doe was a man found murdered in Colorado. His murder was solved but the decedent remains unidentified.
Case
The decedent was found wrapped in plastic in a campground near Cañon City. He had been stabbed 19 times in the stomach, chest, back, and left arm. It is believed he was killed elsewhere and that he was dumped in the campground.
The decedent is believed to have been a well-known figure in the Pueblo community. He was known to wear expensive clothing and he was possibly a collector of silver dollars. On the night of his death, he had reportedly been flashing a large sum of money at the Paddy's Restaurant And Lounge, an illegal gambling spot, which he had been known to frequent. He had been buying drinks for Rita Valdez, who is now deceased. The circumstances of what transpired are unclear, but it is believed Rita and her girlfriend, Rosalinda Crispin, lured the victim to an unspecified location, stabbed him, and took his maroon colored 1981 Chevrolet Caprice. Police cannot rule out that someone else found his body at the bar and dumped it in the campground to avoid bad publicity.
Information linking Rosalinda to the crime had been discovered in 1985, after her friend told police that she had previously described the murder. Despite this evidence, it was not confirmed until 2016, after the detective of the case found documents regarding the witness statements.
Rosalinda, who is serving a 65 year prison sentence for a similar murder, denies knowing what happened to the decedent, and claims that she last saw him running for his life. However, witnesses stated that the two had been seen driving the decedent's car without him being present. Rosalinda has not been officially charged with the murder.
The victim is believed to be from Denver, and was likely in his mid-fifties when he died.
Clothing and accessories
- T-shirt.
- Hart, Schaffner and Marx slacks.
- Nylon shorts and socks.
- Wristwatch without body.
Sources
- Fremont County John Doe at NamUsUNCENSORED POSTMORTEM WARNING
- Fremont County John Doe at the Doe Network
- The Denver Post
- KOAA (archived)
- Fremont County Cold Case Squad
