WALDEN, Colo. — In October 1987, the body of a young man was found along a remote road in northern Colorado. Now, 36 years later, law enforcement has identified the victim.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) announced Monday the murder victim was identified as 24-year-old Jerry A. Mikkelson. He was originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the sheriff's office said.
Mikkelson's body was found Oct. 18, 1987, along a Forest Service road 15 miles north of the town of Walden and about five miles south of the Wyoming border, the sheriff's office said. Soil samples taken from Mikkelson's hair led detectives to theorize that he was killed in Wyoming and that his killer or killers dumped his body in Jackson County.
When his body was found, the sheriff's office said, Mikkelson was wearing a vest with the initials of L.B.L. written on a tag.
Investigators exhumed Mikkelson's body in June. New DNA samples were taken, and during an examination of his remains, detectives found a titanium rod in the right femur. Genetic genealogy was used and traced back to Mikkelson's surviving family. Mikkelson's family told investigators he had the titanium rod because he had broken his femur six years prior to his death.
The sheriff's office said Mikkelson willingly left his home in South Dakota in August 1983, just before his 20th birthday. He spent time in Pittsburgh; Olathe, Kansas; Wyoming and possibly Colorado, the sheriff's office said.
At the time of his disappearance, Mikkelson was described as being 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing around 160 pounds. He had brown wavy/curly hair, and brown eyes.
Anyone who may have information about the case can call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office's tip line at 970-875-7069 or email tips@jacksoncountyco.gov.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigations have assisted Jackson County in the case.
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