DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in solving a 43-year-old cold case.
James "Jim" Ihm was found murdered in unincorporated Douglas County on March 8, 1981.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office's cold case unit said Ihm's body was found near Fern Creek Road, approximately one mile east of Colorado Highway 67.
The sheriff's office said Richard "Rick" Eastridge was arrested on Nov. 8, 2023, for his participation in the murder. However, while out of custody on bond, Eastridge took his own life on Nov. 15, 2023.
The sheriff's office said Eastridge's arrest was a result of numerous witness statements, evidence recovered in 1981, evidence analyzed in 2023, and Eastridge’s confession. Eastridge implicated himself and others who planned to rob Ihm of a large amount of marijuana, which ultimately resulted in the murder.
According to investigators, Ihm planned to meet Eastridge and others at the Brazenhead Inn in Woodland Park on Feb. 20, 1981. They planned to meet to finalize the details of Ihm's sale of a large amount of marijuana and were going to travel to a secluded area to complete the transaction.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone with information about the murder of Ihm or Eastridge to contact coldcasetips@dcsheriff.net or 303-660-7528.
The Teller County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Unified Forensic Laboratory, and the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin have also contributed to the investigation.
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