BOULDER, Colo. — The Boulder Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in solving a case involving a 19-year-old woman found dead on a bike trailer. The teen’s family revealed that she had been estranged from them since leaving home a couple of years ago, which made the news of her death that much more devastating.
The Boulder County Coroner identified the woman as Zaria Hardee.
"I was just hoping for that one phone call. Not from a detective, from her," said Hardee’s mother, Anna Saavedra.
Police received a call about the abandoned bike trailer on Goss Street near Canyon Boulevard and 18th Street on July 14. When detectives arrived, they found Hardee's body wrapped in multiple layers on the trailer. A small memorial of signs and flowers now surrounds the location where she was found.
Zaria Hardee's memorial in Boulder
Saavedra said she went into denial when she was told, "I didn’t want to believe it. I was devastated. Hurt. Confused. Angry."
Hardee grew up in Aurora but left her family almost two years ago when she turned 18. She would have been 20 in September.
"She would always tell me she wants to do her own thing. She just wants to go live her own life, so she did," Saavedra recounted.
Zaria Hardee while she was living at home in Aurora
Saavedra didn't file a police report initially because Hardee kept in light touch at first. Saavedra held on to the hope that her daughter would come home. She said she sent messages asking her to return, but Hardee eventually stopped responding. Her daughter's final words to her are etched in her memory.
"The last thing she said was 'I love you mom, I'm gonna be OK,'" Saavedra said.
It's been more than a year since Saavedra last heard from her daughter. The last update Saavedra received from Hardee's friends was that she had a boyfriend and was living in Boulder.
Even though Hardee's family said they continuously offered her a place to stay, detectives believe she was unhoused at the time of her death. Records indicate Hardee's last known address was a homeless shelter in Boulder called TGTHR: The Source Youth Resource Center, though it's unclear if or when she lived there. 9NEWS has reached out to the shelter, but they have yet to respond to inquiries.
Boulder Police have released pictures of the bike trailer and a black motorcycle cover found with Hardee, seeking anyone who may have seen these items in the area between July 10 and July 12. The family is now seeking justice and hoping someone with information will come forward. "Even though we haven’t had contact, that’s still my baby. And my worst fear came true. We just want to know who did it and why. And we want this person to pay for what they’ve done," said Saavedra.
Saavedra, who now lives in Wyoming with her six other children, plans to return to Colorado for a memorial service for Hardee on Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. at Westminster Calvary. The family will also make trips for court hearings as the investigation proceeds. Close family friends are currently raising funds to support the family's upcoming travel expenses.
9NEWS has requested the autopsy report from the Boulder County Coroner, which is expected to take months to complete.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Boulder Police Tip line at 303-441-1974 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867, referencing case 24-6910. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.