GUILTY CO - Kelsey Shannon, 13, brutally murdered, Broomfield, 14 Oct 2008

Tonia

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Body found in Broomfield ditch
Officials say identity could take weeks to discover

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — A female body was discovered Wednesday morning near a drainage ditch, but authorities say it may be weeks before they know the identity.

The body was found about 7:20 a.m. by a person walking in the area, Broomfield Sgt. Scott Swenson said. It was on a bank of the ditch near a thicket of cattails.

The drainage ditch runs from Broadlands Golf Course east to the Plaster Reservoir. The area police are investigating is clearly visible from an overpass on Lowell Boulevard.

Authorities do not know the age or race of the corpse, and the body is so decomposed that pathologists might not know its identity, cause of death or even time of death for weeks, said Adams County Coroner James Hibbard.

The coroner’s office has scheduled an autopsy Thursday morning. Hibbard said the body is “skeletonized and mummified.”

The person who spotted the body has a law-enforcement background and knew immediately what it was, said Police Chief Tom Deland.

“We don’t know how the body wound up there, and we’re not going to speculate,” Deland said, adding there is no cause for alarm in the neighborhood. “We don’t believe the body is related to anything that has occurred in the immediate area.”

Deland said the corpse had been in the ditch “for quite some time.”

The ditch was treated as a crime scene, Deland said, and was searched for evidence for at least a quarter-mile. Police also scoured the Boulders at Legend Trail subdivision for clues Wednesday.

Police investigators were at the scene until 5 p.m. as neighbors watched.

“I walk my dog by here twice a day, and I never notice anything,” said area resident Neil Nelson.

He stood on a trail overlooking the ditch with Brent Chapman, who walked to the scene after seeing police while he drove down Lowell Boulevard.

“It’s shocking,” Chapman said.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jan/21/body-found-broomfield-ditch/


Kelsey Shannon, 13, Missing Since 10/14/08, Broomfield, CO

http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/...light=colorado
 
What a sad ending. I feel for her family
 
So young.

I hope that her family can make it through this.
 
Prayers for Kelsey and her family.

More details on this case can be found here, including the link between the young victim and the perpetrator of this horrible crime. May justice be served.
 
Kelsey Shannon listed as witness in theft case against boyfriend

A 13-year-old Broomfield girl found dead Jan. 21 was listed as a witness in a theft case against the teen suspected of killing her, court records show.

http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/news/2009/jan/31/shannon-listed-witness-case-against-boyfriend/?partner=RSS

What a horrible thing, murdering someone because of a theft charge. Hopefully this young man, if he's guilty, will be put away for good. Someone who kills so quickly is a real danger to society.
 
What an absolute needless loss of life. My heart aches for Kelsey's family.
 
is it me or are there a LOT of bodies/remains being found lately? is this pretty normal?

I have wondered about this too.

Maybe it's because of the economy and people being broke...they are doing more free and outdoor recreational things like walking and hiking to fill their leisure time.....and because of this are stumbling on someone's secret more often than usual??

I don't want to jinx it, whatever it is. It's a terrible thing when someone is murdered....but in a way it's a good thing when a body is found.
 
What a senseless, tragic murder. I hope justice will be served for Kelsey and her family.
 
Kelsey Shannon murder suspect in court Wednesday

The man accused of murdering 13-year-old Broomfield resident Kelsey Shannon is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Alexander "Alex" Paul Pacheco, 18, of Broomfield, is accused of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death and abuse of a corpse. He was arrested Jan. 24 for murdering Kelsey, whose body was found Jan. 21 in a ditch near the intersection of 136th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard, not far from her home in the Broadlands.

http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/news/2009/may/11/kelsey-shannon-murder-suspect-in-court-wednesday/
 
Kelsey Shannon murder suspect in Broomfield court today
Alex Pacheco set for motions hearing

Friday's hearing started with questioning of Kearns, who was the lead investigator assigned to what police originally considered a runaway case after Kelsey disappeared. Kearns remained the lead investigator when the case changed to a homicide, and was one of officers who arrested Pacheco at his mother's home in Lakewood.

Lawyers on both sides asked Kearns about interviews police conducted with Pacheco, Kelsey's mother, Dottie Shannon, and acquaintances of Pacheco. They also discussed the evidence that led police to request arrest and search warrants.

Pacheco met with Kearns on Nov. 14 for what Kearns described as a voluntary interview.

Kearns discussed the meeting at length during the hearing. Pacheco told police he had not seen Kelsey since the day she disappeared. He said Kelsey was planning on attending a party in Aurora that night, Kearns said.

According to Kearns, Pacheco told him he and Kelsey used drugs, including crack cocaine.

Kearns also told Pacheco rumors were circulating that he had killed Kelsey.
Kearns left the stand around 11:25 a.m.

The remainder of the morning session was spent questioning detective Brian Gardner.

At the start of the hearing, Judge Popovich said the hearing would discuss the defense's request to continue the trial to another date and suppress some evidence, including the search warrant for his uncle's Broomfield home, where Pacheco had been living. Discussion of those items was delayed as the court heard testimony from Kearns and Gardner.

In May, prosecutors and Broomfield detectives laid out their case against Pacheco. They allege Pacheco stabbed Kelsey in the neck before having sex with her dead body. Pacheco then bragged to his friends, police say.

The prosecution's case relies largely on testimony of Pacheco's acquaintances and a document found on his family's computer discussing his belief Kelsey was cheating on him and expressing interest in necrophilia.

Defense attorneys said the testimony of his acquaintances, some of whom he only knew for a few weeks, was unreliable. They also questioned the physical evidence.

The coroner said Kelsey died of homicidal violence, but could not determine a cause of death.

Pacheco's trial is scheduled to start Nov. 30.

http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_13523731?source=most_viewed#
 
Experts take stand in Shannon murder motions hearing
Proceeding aims to establish credibility; defense grilling causes friction in Broomfield courtroom

Forensics experts who examined the remains of 13-year-old Broomfield resident Kelsey Shannon took the stand Monday for a daylong motions hearing in which prosecutors tried to establish the credibility of their evidence.

http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_13894211
 

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