Alaska man indicted on murder charge in 2006 death
An Alaska man has been arrested for the second time after prosecutors said they found new evidence and will once again move to try the man in the death of a Longmont woman found in Boulder County in 2006.
According to a release from the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, John Angerer, 53, was indicted in February by a grand jury on one count of second-degree murder in the death of Angela Wilds, 38.
Wilds’ decomposing body was found on June 4, 2006, by two hikers in the South St. Vrain Canyon, roughly 3 miles outside of Lyons.
The body appeared to have been dragged from a nearby shallow grave by a large predator, and deputies located a pair of yellow ski pants, a sleeping bag, and a pillow in a pillowcase, all neatly folded up near the gravesite.
The body remained unidentified for months until DNA analysis confirmed it was Wilds five months later. The Boulder County Coroner’s Office was ultimately unable to rule on a cause or manner of death, though an outside forensic pathologist brought in by prosecutors opined that Wilds died of homicide by asphyxiation.
In 2009, DNA evidence connected Angerer to the area where the body was found and to Wilds’ body itself, and Angerer was arrested and charged with seconddegree murder.
But a judge ruled that there was not enough evidence for the case to proceed past a preliminary hearing, and Angerer was released and the case dismissed.
But according to the release, “an individual can be re-arrested and prosecuted if significant, new
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evidence is developed that supports a renewed prosecution,” and continued investigation into the cold case developed “significant and new evidence.”
While the specifics of the new evidence were not released, prosecutors said the investigation “has included identifying new witnesses, re-interviewing individuals previously known to law enforcement, consulting with forensic pathologists, and submitting further items to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for testing and DNA analysis.”
“I am glad that we were able move our investigation into the homicide of Angela Wilds forward,” Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said in a statement. “I am proud that our detectives didn’t give up on this cold case. We know Angela’s family has been waiting a long time for this day to come. Her family is in our thoughts as we take the next steps in the judicial process.”
Angerer was arrested on Thursday in Anchorage, Ala., and his extradition to Boulder County is pending.
“We are determined to secure justice for the murder of Angela Wilds, some closure for her loved ones, and answers for our community,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “I am grateful for the tireless efforts and dedication of the investigators and prosecutors on this case. We sincerely appreciate the time and service of the grand jurors. Today’s announcement is an important step; we are committed to the work ahead.”