6 Terrifying Serial Killers Who Left Their Mark on Colorado

Colorado’s Chilling Connection to Serial Killers

It's clear that over the past decade or so, we have developed a greater fascination of all things true crime.

One of the biggest subjects that people are curious about cases involving serial killers.

I did some digging and found cases of these dark and disturbing beings and their Colorado connections.

Be warned, there will be some mentions of violence and death.

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The Bloody Espinosas: Colorado’s First Known Serial Killers

Felipe, Vivian, and Jose Espinosa Terrorized Southern Colorado

This might be one of the oldest reports of a serial killer in Colorado history.

Some reports claim that Felipe and Vivian were brothers, some accounts say cousins. Jose is believed to be their nephew.

This family of killers allegedly terrorized southern Colorado in the 1860s, according to Colorado Encyclopedia.

Now, well over a hundred some off years later, they are viewed as this sort of western myth. Reports claim that the "Axemen of Colorado" or the "Bloody Espinosas" murdered dozens of white settlers that came through the Colorado Territory.

Accounts claim that they would ambush and decapitate homesteaders and lawmen in the Conejos and Fremont Counties.

In one year, they are believed to have killed approximately 32 people.

They were eventually all killed.

In an account from the official History of Colorado website, there still remains no clear motive for the killings. There are some historians who believe that the Bloody Espinosas murdered every single white person who crossed their path out of revenge for lost money and property during the Mexican War.

'Some say they commenced their murder spree when Juan had a dream in which the Virgin Mary advised him that it was his duty to kill "Gringos."'

Read More: Colorado’s Most Shocking True Crime Cases Featured on 20/20

The Denver Strangler: The Unsolved “Jack the Strangler” Murders

Denver’s Forgotten 1890s Serial Killer Still Haunts Colorado History

Within the same century, another serial killer came onto the scene. This one operating out of Denver and going by the Denver Strangler or "Jack the Strangler."

Obviously the name is in reference to the infamous Jack the Ripper that had terrified the people of London. There were quite a number of "Jack the Ripper" cases all across the globe, including right here in the U.S.

While there was no clear connection between the original Jack and these other cases, the name sort of caught on.

In 1894, reports began popping up of prostitutes in Denver being strangled to death. There were three cases over the course of several months.

This Denver Strangler was never caught, but according to historians a fourth woman who was being attacked in the very same way managed to get free and scream for help.

When police arrived at the scene, they saw that he was trying to cut her throat. The women of the red light district in Denver insisted that this was the man behind the three previous killings, but the police didn't believe them.

He was only charged with assault and the police reportedly just waved the incident off as  “nothing more than an ill-tempered Italian.”

Judy Buenoano: The Black Widow With a Colorado Connection

How a Murderous Woman’s Trail of Poison Led Through the Rockies

You've heard of Black Widows, but none quite like Judy.

Judy or Judias Buenoano made history as the first woman to be executed in Florida since 1848, according to the United State District Court Middle District of Florida.

This woman married United States Air Force officer James Goodyear in 1962. Just a few months after his return from a tour of duty in Vietnam, he died after dealing with mysterious symptoms.

Following his death, she dated a man named  Bobby Joe Morris, who she later moved to Colorado to be with. Just a few years into their relationship, Morris died from an illness that seemed strikingly familiar to Goodyear's symptoms.

Her son also died mysteriously under similar circumstances. Police discovered that she was poisoning these men with arsenic to collect their life insurance payouts.

Read More: The Crimes and Hoaxes that Shaped Colorado History

Ted Bundy’s Colorado Killings

When One of America’s Most Infamous Serial Killers Struck in the Rockies

Yeah, you know THAT Ted Bundy.

Bundy is widely regarded as one of America's most infamous serial killers. During his active years, he killed dozens of women.

His string of murders took place across multiple states. During the 1970s, Bundy spent some time in Colorado where he killed at least three young women.

Reports claim that these took place in early 1975.

The victims were; a nurse named Caryn Campbell, a ski instructor named Julie Cunningham, and a cyclist named Denise Oliverson. 

Two of these women's bodies were never found.

Bundy was arrested in connection to Campbell's murder and escaped twice from Colorado law enforcement's custody, according to reports.

Read More: New Clues in JonBenet Ramsey Investigation Spark Hope

The Unidentified Denver Prostitute Killer

Serial Murders Along I-70 That Terrified Denver for Decades

Over the course of twenty years, an unnamed serial killer targeted hitchhikers and sex workers in Denver and the surrounding area. The bodies were dumped along I-70 and rural roads, according to reports.

These cases were believed to be unrelated until DNA testing in 2005 linked two cases (Lannell Williams and Lisa Kelly) to one suspect.

Authorities named Billy Reid as the most likely suspect in these cases, but the cases of all of these women remains unsolved for the most part.

Scott Lee Kimball: The FBI Informant Turned Colorado Serial Killer

“Hannibal” Kimball Fooled Federal Agents While Committing Murders

Scott Lee Kimball, a Colorado native was nicknamed "Hannibal" and somehow managed to fool law enforcement in a highly sophisticated way.

Kimball was known as a serial fraudster who eventual started working as an FBI informant. However, he used his connections to his advantage.

According to reports, Kimball actually blamed many of his crimes on his cellmates.

While he was an informant, he was found responsible for killing four people. Eventually, he allegedly confessed to his lawyers that his real murderous body count was closer to 45 or 50.

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