John Angerer: Man arrested for Angela Wilds' murder 17 years later after 2 hikers find her remains in Colorado Canyon
BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO: Seventeen years after the remains of a Colorado woman were discovered decomposing in a Boulder County canyon, investigators have arrested and charged a suspect in her murder. John Angerer, 53, of Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested last week on second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of Angela Wilds in 2006.
In a news release issued by the Colorado District Attorney, it was stated that two hikers on June 4, 2006, located the "badly decomposing body" in South Saint Vrain Canyon, roughly 3.3 miles outside of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County, Colorado. It also mentioned that the "body was completely nude except for the cross ring on the left hand".
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The body appeared to have been dragged from a shallow grave
The body appeared to have been dragged from a shallow grave by a large predator, authorities said. Deputies also located "a pair of yellow ski pants, a sleeping bag, and a pillow in a pillowcase, all neatly folded up near the gravesite." For months, she remained unidentified as there was no information available about her identity.
In November 2006, DNA analysis confirmed the woman's identity as Angela Wilds. In 2009, investigators connected John Angerer to the crime scene and also to the victim. Later in 2010, Angerer was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. But after a preliminary hearing later that year, a judge dismissed the case for a lack of probable cause.
Investigators with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office continued to work on the case. That investigation 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."
'Her family is in our thoughts'
The District Attorney’s Office presented the case to the Grand Jury. On February 16, 2023, the Grand Jury returned an indictment for the crime of Second Degree Murder. Angerer is in Custoday in Alaska pending extradition to Colorado. Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said, “I am glad that we were able to move our investigation into the homicide of Angela Wilds forward. 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.”
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “We are determined to secure justice for the murder of Angela Wilds, some closure for her loved ones, and answers for our community. 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.”
"I hope this time the courts, the judge, everybody listens and that he gets what's coming to him," Tammie Benson, Wilds's sister told 9 News.