BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A jury was unable to reach an unanimous verdict in a cold case murder trial out of Boulder County, centered on a deceased woman found in South Saint Vrain Canyon in 2006.
John Michael Angerer, now 56, was on trial for second-degree murder in connection with the death of 38-year-old Angela "Angie" Wilds of Longmont. The trial began on Dec. 8.
Crime
Murder trial begins 19 years after a woman's body was found in Boulder County
Afterward, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said this case presented challenges, as does every cold case homicide.
"So, I deeply appreciate the relentless efforts, skill, and professionalism of the sheriff’s office and our team in developing the case over the years and bringing it to trial," he said. "They have done an outstanding job in fighting for justice for this victim, her loved ones, and our community. I want to recognize the jurors who worked incredibly hard, particularly during the holidays, as they attempted to reach the right verdict."
Moving forward, he said his office will determine the next steps.
"We remain committed to securing the right outcome in this murder case," Dougherty said.
Watch Denver7's coverage from opening statements in this case below.
This case started on June 4, 2006, when a pair of hikers found Wilds' nude body in Boulder County's South Saint Vrain Canyon along Highway 7, about 3.3 miles outside of Lyons. Her body was badly decomposing and had quicklime around it. She did not have any identification on her, but was wearing a ring.
Nearby, authorities also found a blue sleeping bag, pillow, pillowcase and yellow ski pants. They processed the scene for about six days and collected more than 280 pieces of evidence, said Boulder County Deputy District Attorney Nevene Hullender.
A coroner who examined the body the following day noted no stab wounds or gunshot wounds, but could not rule out strangulation, Hullender said. Wilds was examined for sexual assault and the coroner found DNA of an unknown male. The coroner ruled her cause and manner of death as undetermined.
At that time, authorities did not know who the deceased woman was and issued a few press releases including photos of her ring to try to identify her.
In October 2006, a woman came forward to authorities and said her friend Angela Wilds had been missing and wore a similar ring to the one from the press releases photos. Through genetic testing with four of Wilds' sisters, investigators were able to determine the deceased woman was her, Hullender said.
Investigators learned she was 38, a transient, drank heavily and had been in several relationships with abusive men.
Male DNA found on the sleeping bag, pillowcase and in the vaginal swab were the same, and led investigators to John Angerer of Anchorage, Alaska in 2009.
Angerer was an avid camper and hiker and was largely transient. He went to homeless ministries and was known to frequent South Saint Vrain Canyon, where Wilds' body was found.
The two were reportedly seen together before her death.
In 2009, investigators contacted Angerer about Wilds' death. He denied recognizing her photo or knowing her name, Hullender said, and also denied spending time in the South Saint Vrain Canyon. When confronted with the details about his DNA at the scene, he denied it was his, the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney Julia Stancil said some of the items found at the scene — like the sleeping bag — were shared items from a local homeless shelter and DNA from previous users can stick around for a long time, so there was no way to know if Wilds was near the sleeping bag at the same time as Angerer.
Stancil explained that transient people often don't report crimes or incidents to police, and Wilds could have died naturally and her death could have gone unreported.
Two additional forensic pathologists were consulted in 2010 and 2015 and both determined the manner of death was homicide. The pathologist in 2010 said Wilds likely died of asphyxia and the pathologist in 2015 said the cause was homicidal violence, Hullender said. However, the defense said neither of them saw Wilds' body or examined it; they only looked at paperwork.
Angerer was initially arrested in 2010 and charged with second-degree murder. His preliminary hearing was held on July 12, 2010, however a judge determined that probable cause did not support the charge and the case was dismissed.
Wilds had a very serious heart condition that resulted in her left anterior descending artery being 90% accluded, the defense said. A little extra pressure — standing up, having sex, assaulting somebody, being assaulted — that brought stress on her heart could have caused her to die, Stancil said. She said that the woman was not in good health, but deserved to have her death investigated nonetheless.
“But was it a homicide? Big, huge leap," she said.
Angerer was arrested again in connection with the case on March 9, 2023 and was charged with second-degree murder again. He pleaded not guilty on May 16, 2024, according to court documents.
The prosecutor told the jury that this case would require a "totality of the circumstances analysis."
Stancil said the case revolved around the prosecutor's best guess, and was based on speculation. She told the jury they will not hear anything about how Wilds died, where she died, when she died and if a homicide happened at all.
"This case has many holes," Stancil said, and asked the jurors to put the prosecution's evidence to the test.
Opening statements in this case began on Dec. 8.
That jury ultimately was unable to reach a unanimous verdict and a mistrial was called on Monday.
