GUILTY CO - Paige Birgfeld, 34, Grand Junction, 28 June 2007

[neverletgo]

More snipped from the Denver Post:

Sheriff-elect Matt Lewis said while there is a "very circumstantial basis to this case," he feels they have sufficient evidence showing Jones is Birgfeld's killer.

"We believe at this point we have crossed off the list all the things we needed to do to make an arrest," he said."There's not a significant event as much as this is an exhaustive process we've been going through. We are at the point where we feel we have checked every box that's come before us."

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2...-case-suspect-arrested-2007-kidnapping-murder

 

[iluvmua]

Glad to see they finally have arrested him

 

[mysticrose]

Omg ! I have never been so happy in my life, its about time, now he needs to rot for the rest of his life !

 

[mysticrose]

Suspect Arrested In Death Of Paige Birgfeld, Mom Who Led Double Life

Snipped:

“We’ve believed since 2007 Lester Jones was responsible for disappearance and murder of Paige Birgfeld,” Sheriff-Elect Matt Lewis said Friday.
The 34-year-old mother of three disappeared from Grand Junction in 2007. Her remains were found in 2012 by a hiker in the Wells Gulch area of Mesa County. Investigators first used dental records to identify Birgfeld’s body.
Jones was the only suspect in the case, the sheriff’s office said. In addition to first- and second-degree murder charges, he faces arson and kidnapping counts.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/11/21/suspect-arrested-in-paige-birgfeld-murder/

 

[mysticrose]

Paige Birgfeld’s Father Optimistic, Bereaved After Arrest In Her Murder
November 21, 2014 7:57 PM

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - The father of a murdered Grand Junction woman who went missing in 2007 said Friday’s arrest in his daughter’s death was a melancholy moment, but he’s optimistic for a conviction.
“It all came back and washed over me and was a pretty sad moment,” Frank Birgfeld said.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/11/...timistic-bereaved-after-arrest-in-her-murder/

 

[mysticrose]

Investigators Detail Final Moments Leading Up To Birgfeld’s Death
November 21, 2014 11:00 AM

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (CBS4)- Investigators have detailed what they believe to the be the final days leading up to Paige Birgfeld’s death in 2007.
The single mother of three went missing seven years ago. The 34-year-old’s remains were found two years ago by a hiker in Wells Gulch.
Deputies arrested Lester Ralph Jones, the only suspect ever named in the case. Jones, 63, of Grand Junction, was a client of Birgfeld’s escort service.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/11/...-final-moments-leading-up-to-birgfelds-death/

 

[neverletgo]

More national coverage:

Police Arrest Suspect in Death of Paige Birgfeld, Mom of 3 Who Ran Escort Service
By Johnny Dodd @Johnny_Dodd 11/22/2014 AT 10:40 AM EST

Snipped:

"We named him a suspect in 2007 and we never wavered from that," Mesa County Sheriff-elect Matt Lewis tells PEOPLE. Lewis says Jones declined to make a statement at the time of his arrest. Jones has not yet been arraigned or entered a plea.

http://www.people.com/article/lester-jones-arrested-2007-murder-paige-birgfeld

 

[tarabull]

Police: Client arrested in escort's 2007 killing

DENVER (AP) - A single mother who vanished from western Colorado more than seven years ago led a double life as a paid escort with many unsavory clients, investigators say.

Among them was Lester Ralph Jones, 63, who was one of the last people to call Paige Birgfeld before her 8-year-old daughter reported her missing in June 2007.

http://www.waow.com/story/27456088/police-client-arrested-in-escorts-2007-killing

 

[neverletgo]

Suspect In Paige Birgfeld’s Murder Worked With Her Ex-Husband
November 22, 2014 2:54 PM

Snipped:

Jones denied knowing anything about Birgfeld’s disappearance when police questioned him in 2007 and denied ever using her service.

But a fellow escort told investigators Jones called Birgfeld for an appointment but canceled when he realized she was the ex-wife of a man with whom he worked at the local fire department. A review of his phone records showed they had communicated several times, including in the days leading up to her disappearance, the affidavit says.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/11/22/suspect-in-paige-birgfelds-murder-worked-with-her-ex-husband/

 

[neverletgo]

Murder of Paige Birgfeld
Updated: Sat 10:31 PM, Nov 22, 2014

Snipped:

While the question of who is being charged with Paige Birgfeld's murder has been answered, how she died is still unknown to everyone except Paige’s killer, “The person who killed Paige Birgfeld does know how she died we know that she was injured we know that there were injuries present but we may never know that,” Lewis said during a media conference announcing the arrest.

http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/BREAKING---283499131.html

 

[neverletgo]

Community reacts to arrest in Paige Birgfeld case
Updated: Sat 9:09 PM, Nov 22, 2014

Snipped:

"What is hard is the closure was forced the moment she died,” said Campbell. “I could never hang out with her again and she could never bring her kids over to swim again. This arrest is never going to bring her kids’ mother back, but they can know that people cared enough to say we’re still going to go after him.”

http://www.nbc11news.com/news/headl...arrest-in-Paige-Birgfeld-case--283606731.html

 

[neverletgo]

Rewinding back to the start of the Paige Birgfeld investigation
Updated: Fri 10:57 PM, Nov 21, 2014

Snipped:

The decision to move forward with the arrest of brings up yet another question...why now?

Those that have been on the case since day one explain it best.

“An affidavit really supports the reasons why you think someone should be arrested, it doesn't really cover the things you needed to do to plug holes and eliminate things in an investigation,” says former Mesa County Sheriff, Stan Hilkey.

http://www.kjct8.com/home/headlines/283569561.html

 

[neverletgo]

Investigators Detail Final Moments Leading Up To Birgfeld’s Death
November 21, 2014 11:00 AM

Snipped:

After she went missing, a trail of checks, business cards and other personal belongings of Birgfeld’s were found along Highway 50 between Whitewater and Bridgeport Road. Investigators believe this indicates that she was taken there immediately following her disappearance and that it appears someone, likely Paige, was trying to leave clues of her travel path.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/11/...-final-moments-leading-up-to-birgfelds-death/

 

[neverletgo]

Frank Birgfeld: Arrest is a new chapter in daughter's case
Blair Shiff and Jessica Oh, KUSA 7:28 p.m. MST November 21, 2014

Snipped:

"People ask what I think about him," Birgfeld said. "People think I should claw his eyes out or something; I don't feel that. We'll just see how it plays out."

http://www.9news.com/story/news/crime/2014/11/21/paige-birgfeld-arrest/19345575/

 

[neverletgo]

Arrest in Colorado Cold Case Murder of Escort/Mom Paige Birgfeld
By Jennifer Pfalz on November 22, 2014

Snipped:

Lewis did not detail what led to the arrest of Jones now, but did say that the injuries found on her body were helpful in the development of the case. Direct evidence exists that ties Jones to the killing, but the manner of her death is still unknown.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/11/arrest-in-colorado-cold-case-murder-of-escortmom-paige-birgfeld/

 

[neverletgo]

Birgfeld was known to her friends as a devoted businesswoman
By Wills Robinson for MailOnline and Associated Press
Published: 16:42 EST, 21 November 2014 | Updated: 18:06 EST, 21 November 2014

Snipped:

When her remains were found two years ago, her father Frank, then aged 68, remembered his daughter as buoyant and positive.

He said: 'Man, she is, she was very rarely negative. Always looked at things on the bright side. Had a great smile and showed it a lot. And clearly what she liked the most was showing off her kids.'

Discovery: Her remains were found in this dry creek by hikers 30 miles away from where she lived. Her eight-year-old daughter reported Birgfeld missing after she had failed to return from work for two days. Her father Frank, pictured in 2012 stands over it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-Colorado-mother-double-life-prostitute.html

 

[neverletgo]

One step closer to closure for the Birgfeld Family
Updated: Fri 10:57 PM, Nov 21, 2014

Snipped:

Frank Birgfeld also said he hopes the progress in the case will also bring him closer to being able to bring Paige’s remains home. Right now they are still being held as evidence.

http://www.kjct8.com/home/headlines/283569671.html

 

[a.allison]

So thankful to finally see an arrest in Paige's case. I first learned of Paige's disappearance in an online community for Pampered Chef consultants. This one struck very close to home because Paige was a very active member on our forum and we all got to know each other pretty well. I am so relieved to finally see some progess, I was beginning to wonder if there was ever going to be any justice for Paige.

 

[neverletgo]

$2 Million Bail Set for Suspect in Death of Paige Birgfeld
By Caitlin Keating @caitkeating 11/26/2014 AT 05:00 PM EST

Snipped:

On Monday, truck driver Lester Ralph Jones, who has been in the Mesa County Detention Center since his arrest Nov. 21, made his first court appearance and had his bond set at $2 million, cash only.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20876962,00.html

 

[neverletgo]

Suspect in "double life" killing had past abduction arrests
By Crimesider Staff CBS/AP November 25, 2014, 12:08 PM

Snipped:

Rubenstein says Jones was arrested in January 1999 for forcing a car carrying his wife and another man off the road, putting her in his car and threatening to kill her. Later that month, Jones was accused of kidnapping a woman and sexually assaulting her.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/suspect-in-double-life-killing-had-past-abduction-arrests/