Suspect Arrested in 35-Year-Old Colorado Cold Case
Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with a 35-year-old Colorado cold case, thanks to advanced DNA and genetic genealogy.
According to CBS4, the case began in Douglas County in November of 1985, when a burglar allegedly fatally shot 51-year-old Roger Dean five times as he tried to run from the intrusion.
Someone claiming to be the killer sent a menacing note to Dean s widow in 1990, and
Unsolved Mysteries covered his death in 1991. But misleading evidence planted at the scene blurred the investigation, and the case went cold.
However, in a Friday (April 9) news conference, authorities revealed that they utilized DNA and genetic genealogy to arrest 64-year-old Michael Jefferson, who they have charged with the murder of Dean.
Apr 13, 2021
Colorado s Red Flag Law, which allows law enforcement to take someone s guns if a judge deems them to be a danger to themselves or others, is now one year old. We talk with Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, who says the law has worked extremely well in his county and supports further implementation of the law elsewhere.
Michael Jefferson, 64, has been charged with murder and kidnapping
He allegedly forced Roger Dean, 51, to tie up his wife D.J. while demanding $30,000 from them in 1985
The intruder, who was wearing a ski mask, had broken into the Deans home in the early morning on November 21 and shot Dean five times when he tried to run
The website for Unsolved Mysteries noted that from the beginning, several aspects of the case puzzled investigators
He was eventually caught when DNA from hair he left in a ski mask at the scene was matched to a water bottle cops snagged from a Spirit Airlines flight
Arrest made in 1985 killing of Douglas County man
Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation
and last updated 2021-04-09 16:49:03-04
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. â A 64-year-old man has been arrested in the killing of a Lone Tree man in 1985, authorities announced Friday.
Michael Jefferson faces charges of first-degree murder, felony murder and kidnapping in the death of Roger Dean, who was 51 when he died on Nov. 21, 1985.
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Dean was apparently being robbed at his home when he was killed during a scuffle inside the home. Dean was shot five times and died en route to a hospital.
Colorado: hallan sospechoso de asesinato en Denver de 1985 – Telemundo New York (47) telemundo47.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from telemundo47.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.