Jessica Ridgeway case linked to attempt jogger abduction case, have 100s of DNA swabs
Investigators in Colorado said on Tuesday that they have found a definitive connection between the murder of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway and the attempted abduction of an adult jogger on Memorial Day. (More on the Jessica Ridgeway case – click here)
Jessica Ridgeway
The jogger was near Ketner Lake Open Space when a man attempted to cover her mouth with a chemical-soaked rag but she managed to escape.
Police have declined to specify what the link is, and on Monday they held a meeting with news directors asking them to be more discreet in their reporting of the case.
“Police need to preserve the integrity of the investigation as much as possible,” a spokesman said. “We are asking people to understand that some of this needs to be withheld.”
The lake is less than a half mile from Jessica’s home. Jessica disappeared after leaving for school on Oct. 5. Her body was found five days later in a field at a park in Arvada.
“There were several tips and leads that allowed us to make that connection,” Westminster police Investigator Trevor Materasso said, adding that Ridgeway’s murder was “definitively” tied to the jogger’s attempted abduction.
“I can’t go into details about the connection because the investigation is ongoing and we need to preserve the integrity of the case,” he said.
Police have described the suspect in the May incident involving the jogger as a light-skinned man between 18 and 30 years of age with a medium build and brown hair.
DNA samples have been collected from about 500 people as investigators continue to work through tips and evidence.
Everyone who submitted DNA samples in the case did so voluntarily, said Westminster Police Department spokesman Trevor Materasso. Samples were collected orally, using a DNA swab.
