WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Wednesday marks 52 years since the skeletal remains of a 15-year-old girl were found in Weld County, and investigators are once again asking for any tips to solve what happened to her.
The remains of 15-year-old Roxanne Leadbeater, who lived in Redondo Beach, California at the time of her death, were discovered by hunters in Weld County on Nov. 19, 1973.
But questions remain, as her death was ruled suspicious. Investigators have not yet uncovered her cause or manner of death, or how she ended up in Colorado, the Weld County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) said.
So, the case has remained open.
When authorities first discovered the remains in 1973, they went unidentified for years, and were simply known as "Jane Doe 1973." In April 2022, the remains were exhumed from a cemetery in Greeley and DNA was collected and sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. There, scientists were tasked with using forensic genealogy to try to identify the missing.
Denver7 reported on this new development and spoke with her cousin in our story here and below.
"Identifying Roxanne marked a breakthrough in the investigation, but significant work remains before the WCSO can solve its oldest cold case," the sheriff's office said.
Now, investigators are working to connect with anybody who knew Leadbeater. They have released the following details about her:
- She lived along the 4100 block of W. 163rd Street in Lawndale, California before her death
- She attended Lawndale High School until ninth grade (from 1971 to 1972)
- Her only known relatives were distant cousins that she was not close to. They believe she went missing around 1972 at age 15, likely from the Redondo Beach area. They said she had no known ties to Colorado
- It's not clear if she ran away from home or was forcibly taken
- Her mother Joan Kobayashi is deceased. She lived on the Hawaiian island of Maui before she died
- Her father John Leadbeater is deceased. He last lived along the 2500 block of 190th Street in Redondo Beach, California
- Her brother Bryant Leadbeater is deceased. He lived in Torrance, California in September of 1984
Anybody with information is asked to contact Cold Case Det. Byron Kastilahn at 970-400-2827 or email him at bkastilahn@weld.gov. Or, tipsters can call the Weld County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 970-304-6464 or email the information to Crimetips@weld.gov.
In the 2021 special below, Denver7 examines multiple cases, detailing how law enforcement and prosecutors used the technology known as genetic genealogy to help solve cold case murders in Colorado.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.