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Solving a 1980 cold case murder took the work of more than 100 people from over 2 dozen organizations

Numerous investigators, genealogists and scientists were involved in case over nearly 40 years.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The work necessary to solve the Jan. 16, 1980, murder of Helene Pruszynski took nearly 40 years and the work of more than 100 individuals from more than two-dozen agencies. 

RELATED: 'It gives me some peace knowing that this beast is in jail': Killer of KHOW radio intern sentenced in 40-year-old case

Here’s a look at those individuals listed in records of the case and the years they were involved.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

  • Sheriff Tony Spurlock, 1998
  • Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth, 1998-2007
  • Deputy Chief Steven Johnson, 2019
  • Capt. Brad Heyden, 2019
  • Capt. William Walker, 1998
  • Lt. Larry Adkisson, 2005
  • Lt. Tommy Barrella, 2019
  • Sgt. Attila Denes, 2019
  • Sgt. Byron Haze, 1980
  • Sgt. Jenny McMillan, 2013-2015
  • Sgt. Jennifer Rose, 2009
  • Sgt. Ed Rossmeisl, 1980
  • Detective Jason Cirbo, 2017-2019
  • Detective Stephanie Dorrell, 2009
  • Detective John Edelmann, 2019
  • Detective Kevin Nichols, 2019
  • Detective Mark O’Harold, 2019
  • Detective Jeff Pelle, 2019
  • Detective Brian Rademacher, 2019
  • Detective Asa Ratliff, 1980
  • Detective Zachary Romberger, 2019
  • Detective Charles Erickson, 2019
  • Detective Shannon Jensen, 2019
  • Detective Lionel Kahan, 2019
  • Detective Dale Row, 1980
  • Detective Daniel Seaman, 2019
  • Detective Angela Spezzano, 2013-2015
  • Detective Mike Trindle, 2019
  • Deputy Greg Birky, 1980
  • Deputy Troy Croswhite, 2019
  • Deputy Leonard Demoney, 1980
  • Deputy Randy Hennessey, 1980
  • Deputy James Kimble, 1980
  • Deputy Andy Kuritz, 2019
  • Deputy Tim Vienot, 2019
  • Crime lab manager Tracey Montano, 2019
  • Crime scene technician Andrea Smith, 2019
  • Crime analyst Michele Kennedy, 1999-2019
  • Evidence technician Kris Allen, 2019
  • Evidence technician Samantha Stairs, 2019
  • Dispatcher Julie Bishop, 1980
  • Victim’s advocate Andrea Bradbury, 2019
  • John McMillan

RELATED: 40 Years in the Dark: How genetic genealogy solved the Helene Pruszynski murder case

Colorado Bureau of Investigation

  • Deputy Director Carl Whiteside, 1980-1982
  • Agent-in-charge Ron Arndt, 2005
  • Agent-in-charge Pete Mang, 1990
  • Agent-in-charge Thomas Netwal, 1998-1999
  • Agent-in-charge Mark Wilson , 1999
  • Capt. Robert Brown, 1980-2005
  • Senior agent Claude Cook, 1980
  • Senior agent James Jordan, 1981
  • Senior agent Richard McNamee, 1980
  • Agent W. Wayne Bryant, 1982
  • Agent Walter Chinn, 1980
  • Agent Joe Clayton
  • Agent Lee Crookston, 2005
  • Agent Howard Gillespie, 1983
  • Agent James Hardtke, 1980
  • Agent Mike Igoe, 1980
  • Agent Al LaCabe, 1980
  • Agent Lawrence Morris, 1980
  • Special agent Ted Ritter, 1980
  • Agent Roy Taylor, 1980
  • Agent Jerry Tesch, 1980
  • Agent Frank Vanecek, 1998-1999
  • Agent David Weigand, 1980
  • Agent Linda Wheeler Holloway, 1999
  • Agent Phil Wilson, 1998
  • Intelligence analyst Audrey Simkins, 2015-2019
  • Criminalist Vaughn Ballard, 1990-1999
  • Criminalist Jeanne Kilmer, 1980
  • Criminalist Kathleen Lobato, 2007
  • Criminalist Gerald Rosenbaugh, 1984
  • Criminalist Mool Verma, 1980
  • Lab manager Rachel Harmon, 2017
  • Lab agent Jay Alsup, 1999
  • Lab agent Kathy Dressel, 1998-2000
  • Lab agent Debbie Warden, 1980
  • Forensic scientist Pamela Schaner, 2005-2017
  • Forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods, 2017-2019

RELATED: Solved after 40 years: Podcast looks back at the investigation into a KHOW intern's murder

Englewood Police Department

  • Police Chief Robert Holmes, 1980
  • Capt. Ron Frazier, 1980
  • Sgt. David Miller, 1984
  • Detective Ralph Allen, 1980
  • Detective Thomas Bock, 1981-1991
  • Detective Randy Carson, 1980
  • Detective Rick Forbes, 1980-1984
  • Detective Clay Forington, 1998-2000
  • Detective Bobbi Garrett, 2005-2008
  • Detective Ed McCasland, 1980
  • Detective Don McLennan, 1980
  • Evidence technician Jerry Phelps, 1981
  • Criminalist Diane Walker-Cloyd, 1991
  • Officer Richard Welbourne, 1980

18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office

  • District Attorney George Brauchler, 2019
  • Chief Deputy District Attorney John Kellner, 2019
  • Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Wilcox, 2019
  • Deputy District Attorney Anne Mansfield, 1980
  • Assistant District Attorney Roger Allott, 1980

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

  • Capt. Michael Acree, 1983
  • Lt. John Sheppard, 1982
  • Investigator Karen Beauchamp, 1982-1983
  • Deputy Bob Scott, 1980

Castle Rock Police Department

  • Detective Nicholas Stamos, 2019

Colorado Springs Police Department

  • Sgt. Norman Short, 1983

Denver Police Department

  • Officer Wally McCrarrey, 1980
  • Officer S. Woods, 1980

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office

  • Lt. Jeri Joiner, 1983
  • Detective Gary Brown, 1983

Littleton Police Department

  • Sgt. Robert Lindgren, 1980
  • Detective D. Rupp, 1980
  • Detective James Taylor, 1980

Colorado Division of Wildlife

  • Officer Bernard Goetze, 1980

Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • Special Agent John Douglas, 1980
  • Special Agent Leo Ford, 1980
  • Special Agent Donnie Peterson, 2019

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

  • Detective Adam Faircloth, 2019

Southern Colorado Joint Terrorism Task Force

  • Special agent Kyle Pressel, 2019

Douglas County Coroner’s Office

  • Coroner John Andrews, 1980
  • Dr. Ben Galloway, 1980
  • Autopsy assistant Howard Manresa, 1980

Colorado Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Investigations Unit

  • Chief investigator Francine Gonzales, 2017
  • Investigator Darin Icardi, 2017

Cellmark Diagnostics

  • Molecular geneticist Charolette Word, 1990
  • Molecular biologist Paula Yates, 1990

Serological Research Institute

  • Forensic serologist Bryan Wraxall, 1991

Parabon NanoLabs

  • Genetic genealogist CeCe Moore, 2018-2019
  • Forensic artist Thom Shaw, 2017

Identifinders International           

  • Forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick, 2018

United Data Connect

  • Co-founder Mitch Morrissey, 2019
  • Genealogist Joan Hanlon, 2019

Arkansas Department of Corrections

  • Administrative analyst Debby Socia, 2019

Ventura County District Attorney’s Office

  • Investigator Terry Dobrosky, 2019

Ventura County Sheriff’s Department 

  • Karen McCormick, 2019

Raton, N.M., Police Department

  • Police Chief Johnny Garcia, 1983

Colfax County, N.M., Sheriff’s Office

  • Liza Romero, 1983

Jefferson County, Ark., Sheriff’s Office

  • Lt. John Bean, 2019

U.S. Marshal’s Service

Investigative research specialist Stewart Hayes, 2019

Union County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office

Detective John Whitehead, 2019

Source: 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office records.

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