Crime
We moved Boulder Crime News and police blotter out of News and made it a primary category. Even though crime news is the highest in analytic s some readers complain because it ruins non violent news. Our readers and viewers prefer science, tech environmental and entertainment news. So crime news junkies now have your own bad news section here.
Serial killer identified 4 years after his death
Jun 10th
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office has concluded its “cold case” investigation into the 1982 murder of Susan Becker. Sheriff’s investigators, with the support of the District Attorney’s Office, have closed the investigation with a case status of “death of offender”. The suspect, John Agrue, died in 2009 after an accidental overdose of prescription medication. Over the years, detectives have stayed in contact with the Becker family and spoke with them last week, providing them with the details that led to the final resolution of the investigation.
Case Summary
On July 1, 1982, several fishermen discovered the decomposing body of a female in a ravine near the 32,000 block of Boulder Canyon Drive in unincorporated Boulder County. Investigators found that the victim, 20 year-old Susan Becker, had sustained 13 stab wounds to her torso and neck and died from her injuries. A black handled knife, believed to have belonged to Ms. Becker was found near her right hand; it was later determined that the knife had not caused the wounds to Ms. Becker. The body was clothed at the time that it was discovered and was covered with a towel, presumably placed there by her assailant. Some of Ms. Becker’s personal effects were found in a day pack with the body.
Ms. Becker was raised in the Boulder area and frequently spent time in Boulder Canyon sunbathing. She was last seen in Boulder by a friend sometime during the morning of June 20, 1982.
At the time, Sheriff’s detectives were unable to identify a suspect in Ms. Becker’s death. Mr. John Agrue figured as a person of interest in the investigation, however, declined to cooperate with investigators. His extended family was interviewed by detectives, and statements indicating that Agrue had hiked in the area where Becker’s body was found were provided, however, there was not enough evidence to link him to Ms. Becker’s murder.
John Agrue had been previously convicted in the 1966 murder of his 14 year old sister-in-law, Susan Marino, in Illinois He was paroled in January 1982 after serving 16 years of a 20-50 year indeterminate sentence and moved to Boulder, and then to Longmont shortly thereafter.
On July 9, 1982, 94-year-old Orma Smith’s body was found in the Big Elks Meadows area, south of Estes Park, Colorado. Ms. Smith resided in Longmont; John Agrue was her neighbor at the time of her death. Larimer County Sheriff’s investigators were unable to link him to Ms. Smith’s murder at the time.
On July 15, 1982, Agrue attempted to abduct a 26 year-old female student at knife point while she was starting her car on the University of Colorado Campus in Boulder. The student was able to flag down a passing University employee who rendered assistance. Agrue was arrested and convicted of the crime.
After serving his sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections for the attempted abduction, Agrue was returned to Illinois in 1984 to complete his sentence for the murder of his sister in law, his parole having been revoked following his conviction in Colorado. After his release in 1989, he lived in Illinois, where he died in 2009 after an accidental drug overdose. Subsequent to his death, relatives discovered numerous women’s purses, jewelry, and other effects in his home, along with newspaper articles about the attempted abduction of the 26 year-old female, the Smith homicide, and Becker homicide.
In June 2010, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced that advances in DNA evidence and comparison (a technology unavailable in 1982) definitively linked Argue to Orma Smith’s murder. Boulder County investigators, working with Larimer County and Illinois law enforcement officials,
re-evaluated Agrue’s potential involvement in Ms. Becker’s death.
There were a number of similarities in the three homicides and the attempted abduction: three of the four involved young women (Ms. Smith being the exception), their purses or personal effects were taken by the suspect, and all involved the use of a knife. The three homicide victims died from multiple stab wounds inflicted upon the same area of the body; Ms. Marino’s ,Ms. Becker’s and Mrs. Smith’s bodies were found in or near mountain streams.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office recruited the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Behavioral Analysis Unit, presenting them with the case facts from the four investigations. Upon review, the FBI’s experts concluded that it was highly probable that Mr. Agrue was responsible for Susan Becker’s murder. Detectives shared the case facts and the FBI experts’ opinions with the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office and solicited their opinion. They agreed that there was probable cause to believe that Mr. Agrue was responsible for Susan Becker’s death and, that if he were still alive, they would pursue murder charges against him.
The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is also investigating the potential of Mr. Agrue having been involved in other homicides as a serial killer.
Sheriff’s office release
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Boulder police investigating burglary; looking for three male suspects
Jun 4th
Boulder police are investigating a burglary which took place in the 1500 block of 11th St. around 2:05 a.m. on Monday, June 3, 2013.
Several roommates told police the suspects are three black males who had been invited to share cigarettes with one of the roommates, who was socializing with several friends on the home’s front patio. The roommate saw the males walking on the street smoking cigarettes, and invited them onto the patio. The males appeared to have left when the friends went inside.
However, one of the roommates, a 21-year-old female, told police that she woke up in her bedroom to one of the suspects massaging her and kissing her. She told the suspect to leave and he did.
Another roommate was awakened by a male who entered her room, and who claimed to be looking for his phone. The roommate told the male to leave, and he complied. Police don’t know if the same male entered both bedrooms.
The suspects stole a number of electronic and computer items. It also appears that they took spare vehicle keys and entered two of the roommate’s vehicles, which were parked outside.
Police are looking for the three suspects, who are described below.
Suspect #1: Light-skinned black male, 5’10” – 6’01” tall, mid-twenties with a muscular build. He was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, and spoke with an “African” accent.
Suspect #2: Dark-skinned black male, 6’0” tall, mid-twenties with a “skinny” build. He was wearing a red hat, a red shirt and blue jeans, and spoke with an “African” accent.
Suspect #3: Dark-skinned black male, 6’02” tall, mid-twenties with a “skinny” build. He was wearing a dark-colored Rwanda soccer jersey. He had light facial hair and spoke with a slight “African” accent.
The case number is 13-7252. Detectives are following several leads in an effort to identify the men. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chuck Heidel at 303-441-3339. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. 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 of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
— CITY–
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Cell phone camera captures “mugshot” of assault suspect
May 30th
Boulder police ask for public help to identify assault suspect
Boulder police are investigating an assault which took place on May 11, 2013, at 12:53 a.m. The incident occurred in the area of Broadway and Walnut as a group of four females and one male were walking together on Broadway. One of the females was injured during the altercation.
This goofball allegedly sent a young to the hospital after attacking her on the corner of Walnut and B’way. He may have been drinking.
Witnesses say an unknown male, who was smoking in front of the Walnut Brewery, made inappropriate remarks about the women and began following the group as he continued to yell obscenities at them. The male in the group told police that he told the suspect to walk away and leave them alone.
The 21-year-old female victim says the suspect then flicked a lit cigarette towards her, hitting her in the face. The suspect then grabbed the victim by her shirt collar and threw her into a cement business sign at the corner of Broadway and Walnut. The victim suffered facial injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The male friend and the male suspect then began fighting with each other. One of the other women in the group was able to take a photo of the suspect with her cell phone before the suspect fled the scene.
Police have been working to identify the suspect through various leads, but have been unable to establish a positive identification. A photo of the suspect is attached, and investigators ask anyone with information about him to contact the Boulder Police Department.
The case number is 13-6128.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ruth Christopher at 303-441-1850. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. 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 of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
— CITY–
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