The spot was marked by cadaver dogs almost ten years ago. Police never found it because the suspect's mother said her horse was buried there.

A horse grave has been discovered where a missing model was buried.

Kara Nichols was just 19 when she was last seen leaving Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, on October 19, 2012.

El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed that they had located her remains on February 10, nine and a quarter years later, and took a suspect into custody.

Joel Hollendorfer (46), is being charged with murder. The remains of the teenager were discovered in a bag and buried on Hollendorfer's parents' property. Court documents state that cadaver dogs discovered the burial spot during the initial investigation. However, the discovery was not made when Hollendorfer’s mother informed them that her horse had been buried there.

Detectives first discovered online ads that Nichols was working as an escort. They featured pictures of Nichols in lingerie and advertised her as the "Sexy New Blonde in Town". An affidavit from KDRO shows that the affidavit included a phone number.

Investigators discovered that she had called eight different numbers between 9:58 and 11:08 on the night of her disappearance. Detectives reached the number and left voicemails. They were contacted by Joel Hollendorfer the next day, according to documents.

He told them they were investigating a missing person case. He also admitted to speaking to and texting with her multiple times that night. But he claimed they never met because he was only looking for an "incall" and "Nichols" only did "outcalls" -- meaning he wanted to go to her house and not hers.

Police said that they were able to track the movements of Nichols' mobile phone and found it had traveled a route near Hollendorfer, which is a property owned his parents, Betty Hollendorfer and John Hollendorfer.

Police searched the property using cadaver-detecting K-9 units. They marked several spots but they were never excavated after Betty Hollendorfer informed them that this was where many pets and animals had been buried.

The case was closed. Detectives finally interviewed Joel Hollendorfer’s ex-wife and she gave a shocking confession.

She said that Hollendorfer had confessed to her after Hollendorfer died in 2014. He told her he had also confessed to Hollendorfer's parents and felt guilty for the death of his father.

According to the affidavit the ex-wife said that Hollendorfer had asked her to ride in his truck at the funeral of her father. He told her that he'd "hired a sex escort" and during the drive, he strangled her until her death.

She claimed Hollendorfer had told her that he took Nichols' body over to his parents' land, "where he buried it on an old horse grave with lime and plastic bags" -- and that his parents helped cover it up, according to People.

Investigators brought Hollendorfer into court on February 7th. They also brought him in for unrelated charges.

Police showed him photos from the original search site. One photo was marked "GPR Site 03". Betty Hollendorfer claimed that this was where her favorite horse was buried. Joel Hollendorfer maintained that nothing was buried there.

Police returned to the site that day and found "GPR Site 03". They found human remains in a bag three feet below the surface.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed that it was Kara Nichols on Thursday. They haven't confirmed the cause of death.

Hollendorfer was also charged with evidence tampering and second-degree murder. He was released on $1 million bail.

The Help Find Kara Facebook page was renamed Justice For Kara on the same day.

"It breaks my heart to have to write this. We had hoped for a different outcome after almost ten years but here we are," Michelle Bart, a family spokesperson from the National Women's Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation, wrote.

"Kara was a sister, a niece, and a friend to many. Kara's life was important in 2012, and it still matters in 2022.

"Our work isn't over. It's time to bring the person or persons responsible for Kara's death to justice. No matter how Kara's defense spins her character, we will insist that Kara was innocent and that, no matter what lifestyle she chose, she never deserved to be taken from us.

"Let's not forget, Kara did NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG to DESERVE this ending, regardless of the circumstances."

Bart stated that the details in the arrest affidavit were particularly disturbing, as those who followed the case knew about Kara's cellphone pings.

Bart stated, "We won't dwell on the failed investigation over the years. We will continue to focus on seeing him locked up for his life."

She said Joel Hollendorfer wasn't the only one who should be tried, but that prosecutors believed Hollendorfer’s mother "knowledge and participation in this crime are questionable at this point."

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Title: Missing Colorado Teen Found Decade Later Buried in Horse Grave, Man Arrested
Sourced From: toofab.com/2022/02/14/missing-colorado-teen-found-decade-later-buried-in-horse-grave-man-arrested/
Published Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2022 18:04:59 +0000

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