Colorado family of murdered Indigenous woman Nikki Burch-Woodhull say she was victim of domestic violence

A Colorado family in Ignacio is hurting, after the unthinkable happened to their relative Nikki Burch-Woodhull, who was a mother, daughter and sister.

"If anybody treated her bad, she was always trying to find the good," said Ronalynn Tiznado, Burch-Woodhull's older sister. "She lit up a room. We're going to have all that type of energy gone."

The body of the 28-year-old was found on Saturday after she had gone missing on Nov. 27. Burch-Woodhull was in the second trimester of a pregnancy, had two other children and was from the Omaha tribe. She was raised in the Southern Ute Reservation community in Colorado.

"Nicole was a very loyal person. She was outspoken," said her sister Felicia Munguia. "Nicole is a great human being, and involved in her community, and just know that she is not anyone that needs to be judged or any of that."

Burch-Woodhull's family told CBS Colorado she had recently married 34-year-old Luis Raul Valenzuela, the man arrested in connection to her death. Authorities said her body was found near County Road 310 and U.S. Highway 550 south of Durango. Valenzuela had his first court appearance on Monday and was denied bail for a second-degree murder charge.

The family told CBS Colorado Valenzuela was controlling.

"None of us could even believe that it would come to this extent, although when you're dealing with a family member that's in an abusive relationship, we were very limited to be able to help her. He was a very controlling and abusive partner in her life," Munguia said.

Burch-Woodhull had tattoos on her face with the name "Luis," but her family said those tattoos weren't her choice.

"It was more his ideas. It's not tattoos she wanted or liked," said Tiznado. "I see people will comment on it, and they don't understand the concept of domestic violence."

And Burch-Woodhull's story is one of so many that plagues the Indigenous community. Advocates said news like this has a heavy impact, on not just the Native community, but society as a whole.

"Native women in Colorado do face violent circumstances, whether they're on reservations or in urban communities," said Raven Payment, a member of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Taskforce of Colorado. "This is a large crisis and every single one of us matters. There is a very unique history that has led to the crisis of violence to Indigenous people and relatives."

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Taskforce of Colorado is a group of grassroots advocates across the state who helped with the founding and passing of Senate Bill 22-150, which lead to the creation of a standalone office to focus on missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state. Multiple members of the task force have been on the ground in Ignacio helping Burch-Woodhull's family.

Arron Julian, the new director of the Office of Liaison for Missing or Murdered Indigenous Relatives, is also helping with the investigation.

The family of Burch-Woodhull is now turning to comforting memories of the past, and working to focus on the next step, which is "justice for Nikki."

"I want everybody to focus on Nicole being a human being, being an Indigenous woman, being a victim and knowing that Nicole, she had a life," Munguia said.