BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A man has been arrested in connection with the 2006 death of a woman whose body was found buried in Colorado, according to authorities.
In a news release, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office said John Angerer, 53, was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska, last week and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Angela Wilds.
Officials say on June 4, 2006, hikers found a decomposing body in the South Saint Vrain Canyon near Lyons, Col., in an unincorporated part of Boulder County. The body was nude except for a ring on the left hand.
According to investigators, it appeared the body was dragged from a shallow grave possibly by a large animal. Deputies eventually found some yellow ski pants, a sleeping bag, and a pillow near the shallow grave.
The body went unidentified for months, according to the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators were unable to get fingerprints due to the condition of the body, according to KDVR. The coroner’s office was unable to determine the cause of death. Investigators however did believe that the death was suspicious.
The woman was eventually identified in Nov. 2006 as Angela Wilds. It took investigators a few more years to connect Angerer to the crime, according to the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
Angerer was arrested in 2010 and charged with second-degree murder, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office said.
At a hearing in July 2010, a judge determined that there was not enough evidence to move forward with the case, according to KDVR.
The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office and the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office continued to investigate the case and submitted evidence to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for further testing and DNA analysis, according to the news outlet.
On Feb. 16, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office presented its findings to a grand jury which returned an indictment against Angerer for second-degree murder, the news outlet reported.
“I am glad that we were able to move our investigation into the homicide of Angela Wilds forward. I am proud that our detectives didn’t give up on this cold case, we know Angela’s family has been waiting a long time for this day to come. Her family is in our thoughts as we take the next steps in the judicial process,” said Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson in the news release.
“We are determined to secure justice for the murder of Angela Wilds, some closure for her loved ones, and answers for our community. I am grateful for the tireless efforts and dedication of the investigators and prosecutors on this case. We sincerely appreciate the time and service of the grand jurors. Today’s announcement is an important step; we are committed to the work ahead,” said District Attorney Michael Dougherty.
Angerer was in custody in Alaska and will be extradited to Colorado, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office said.
