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Murder suspect arrested more than 6 months after Colorado woman's body found decomposing in bike trailer

Murder suspect arrested after Colorado woman's body found decomposing in bike trailer
Murder suspect arrested after Colorado woman's body found decomposing in bike trailer 00:23

Police in Boulder arrested a man named Jimmy West on Thursday in the death of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found in a bike trailer last year. West will face first-degree murder charges for the death of Zaria Hardee, according to Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for the Colorado city.

"Just before 5 p.m. on July 14 neighbors noticed an unusual looking trailer that had been in the 1800 block of Goss Street for several days. Neighbors chose to call police due to the unusual appearance of the trailer," Detective Cmdr. Brannon Winn said in a news conference. "Sadly, upon arrival, officers discovered the decomposing remains of Zaria Hardee wrapped in several layers of blankets on that trailer."

Hardee was what authorities described as an "unhoused" member of the community. It took several days to identify her.

Winn said it's not clear how many days Hardee's body had been in the trailer, but he said the body was "badly decomposed" in part due to summer heat. Hoss Street is located close to the intersection of 18th Street and Canyon Boulevard.

"Following the identification of Miss Hardee, detectives began diligently working to retrace her last steps to determine where she died and who she was with. That search culminated in today's arrest of Jimmy West," Winn said.

January 30, 2025 Boulder Police Department Press Conference by City of Boulder on YouTube

Police say it took more than six months before an arrest warrant was issued because some of the unhoused people Hardee spent time with that detectives knew they needed to interview were difficult to locate.

"Our detectives were undeterred and continued to investigate every available lead and interview everyone who might have had information that could be connected to this crime," "A great deal of effort was put into locating and interviewing individuals who were difficult to find or reluctant to speak with to make sure that they had an opportunity to contribute to this investigation."

West was arrested on Thursday morning, a few days after a warrant went out for his arrest. Winn said officers made the arrest after several days of looking for him.

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