BOULDER, Colo. — After nearly five decades, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday it had collected "decisive evidence" that links a suspect to a 1975 murder.
On September 29, 1975, deputies were called out to the 4500 block of North Broadway in Boulder for a report of a deceased man. When deputies arrived, they found 20-year-old John Curtis Patterson, a clerk at the Cascade Service Station, dead inside the gas station restroom.
Patterson had been fatally stabbed in the chest, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies also found two unfired .30 caliber cartridges on the bathroom floor near Patterson's body. The sheriff's office said the cartridges "bore extractor marks and indications of 'light hits' on the primers."
Deputies found the cash register open and cash missing, indicating robbery as the likely motive.
BCSO said its investigation led deputies to Louis Jess Locicero, who was 32 at the time. He had a criminal history of robbery, burglary, drug and weapon charges, and was staying at a nearby motel in the 4500 block of Broadway around the time of the murder.
Investigators searched Locicero's motel room and found a .30 caliber M1 carbine firearm and a knife that matched Patterson's wound. The sheriff's office said fibers from Patterson's shirt were found on the knife and in the sheath, and Patterson's hairs were found on Locicero's boots.
Locicero was interviewed and ultimately arrested in 1975. However, BCSO said he was "released for unknown reasons prior to charges being filed."
Detectives continued their investigation and followed leads over the decades, but could not develop new information until recently.
Using the Ballistics IQ device, detectives linked the cartridges found at the murder scene and cartridges found in Locicero's hotel room to the same firearm — Locicero's .30 caliber M1 carbine. The evidence was later sent to Evidence IQ, which makes the Ballistics IQ device, and ballistics experts confirmed the findings, according to BCSO.
The sheriff's office on Wednesday said the evidence conclusively links Locicero's weapon to the crime scene.
Some aspects of the case remain unconfirmed. However, BCSO believes there is now "significant evidence to indicate Locicero committed the crime." Locicero died in 2024, therefore, he cannot be charged with the crime.
The Boulder County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case and "concluded the evidence establishes proof beyond a reasonable doubt Locicero committed the murder." In a letter, the district attorney's office said it believes Locicero was responsible for the robbery and murder of Patterson.
- Read the full letter below
In a statement, BCSO Detective Don Dillard said, "This is why the Boulder County Sheriff's Office spends time investigating cold cases like this, to see if something was missed and to see if, with new technology, new leads can be found. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office wants the families to know their loved ones have not been forgotten."
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty also issued a statement, saying, “In our jurisdiction, we work very closely with law enforcement to secure justice for victims and our community. As this investigation by the Sheriff’s Department demonstrates, the quest for justice is something we will always pursue. I’m very grateful to the Sheriff’s Office for continuing to investigate this tragic murder and using new technology to provide answers for the victim’s family and our community. Our office reviewed this investigation, and with this new evidence, we would have been able to file charges in this case.”
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