Man convicted in ’97 Boulder murder files another appeal

The man convicted of raping and murdering University of Colorado Boulder student Susannah Chase in 1997 has filed yet another appeal in his case.

Diego Alcalde, 50, was found guilty by a Boulder County jury in 2009 of firstdegree murder, first-degree sexual assault and seconddegree kidnapping and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In December 1997, Chase was found raped and badly beaten in an alley near her home in Boulder and died later that day from her injuries. Her murder went unsolved for 12 years until DNA from semen found on her body matched a sample from Alcalde that had been entered into a national database.

Alcalde, who is serving his sentence at Sterling Correctional Facility, had previously appealed his case on the grounds that his Miranda rights were violated and that statements made during the trial by prosecutors and the judge should have resulted in a mistrial.

He also argued the judge was wrong in admitting statements Alcalde made shortly after being taken into custody by Boulder police while not admitting testimony Alcalde’s attorneys said would help show Alcalde had consensual sex with the victim.

The Colorado Court of Appeals denied that appeal in 2013.

But now Alcalde has filed another appeal, this time saying his trial attorney violated his rights by conceding during trial that Alcalde had consensual sex with Chase before she was assaulted.

In his appeal, Alcalde said that went against his assertion that he was not in Boulder at the time and did not know the victim, therefore taking away his ability to testify in his own defense to his account of events.

Boulder District Judge Judith LaBuda scheduled the matter for a hearing on Oct. 28.