Jamestown, Colorado. A small mountain community, nestled about 15 miles northwest of Boulder. It's a place known for its eclectic mix of free spirits, where crime is a rare visitor, and a peaceful veneer usually covers everything. But one Saturday morning, that tranquility was brutally shattered.
The desperate voice on a 911 call ripped through the quiet. "Okay. Uh me and her daughter just walked over here. She's on the couch and she's got blood all over her face and everything and I can't get her to wake up and I can't still. And she's cold, real cold". Richard Estron, a neighbor, discovered 30-year-old Solange Hika unresponsive in a converted garage studio, cold to the touch, with no pulse, and a strong, unsettling odor about her. Her 12-year-old daughter, Allora, was with him, a witness to a scene no child should ever behold.
Detectives Steve Ainsworth and Mark Spurgeon arrived at the scene. They found a smaller room, about 15 by 20 feet, littered with beer bottles and appearing "completely ransacked". It looked like a fight had taken place, suggesting a potentially violent crime. Solange lay on her back on the floor, partly covered by a blanket below her waist. A smear of blood marked her upper left lip, with trails indicating her hair had dragged through it onto her cheek. Initially, facing such a scene, a detective might question if it was even a homicide.
Coroner Emma Hall joined the detectives, conducting a separate but parallel investigation focused on the cause and manner of death. As they gently removed the blanket, a chilling detail emerged: Solange was only wearing a tank top, naked from the waist down. Her daughter, Allora, found this particularly strange, explaining that her mother always slept clothed. This observation immediately raised a significant red flag for investigators.
A closer look at Solange's body revealed numerous bruises on "contact surfaces" like her shins, legs, forearms, and arms. This pattern strongly suggested a sexual assault.
Solange Hika was a mother to Allora, but she was also known for spending a lot of time partying with other residents of Jamestown. The night before her death, she had gone to the Mercantile, a common spot for locals. Allora had been dropped off at Richard's house, a frequent arrangement due to the tumultuous relationship between Solange and her boyfriend, Sheldon Jones. Allora would often wait up for her mother, watching her come home and making sure she got safely into the studio across the street. Richard recounted hearing Solange come home around 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning, speak with Allora, then go into the studio, turn on the light, and lie down on the couch. That was the last confirmed sighting of Solange alive.
With the body discovered, determining the exact time of death became a crucial step. Observations of fixed blood (lividity), the rigidity of the body (rigor), and core temperature measurements suggested Solange had been deceased for anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. While bruises were present, no single injury immediately indicated how she died, necessitating a full autopsy. Dr. Michael Arnal, a forensic pathologist with extensive experience, took on the task. His role, he explained, was to "defeat the assailant" and "decipher what they've done despite their best efforts to fool you".
The external examination included a detailed sex crimes kit, involving numerous swabs for DNA – "transient evidence" that could be easily lost. Pubic hair combings were also performed. Dr. Arnal also swabbed the many bruises on Solange's body, especially on her breasts, reasoning that "if we identify your DNA on a breast bruise on a dead woman, you have some splaining to do". Bruises on the wrists suggested defensive wounds or attempts to control her. Specifically, small, round, punctate contusions were noted on the inner thigh and arm, arranged in linear arrays of four – strongly resembling fingertips. On the inner thigh, such injuries were highly suggestive of someone trying to pry her legs apart. Similar punctate bruises on the breasts indicated fingers pressing or grabbing hard enough to break blood vessels, an "extraordinarily unusual" injury for a young woman.
Crucial bruises were also found on Solange's neck. The timing of bruises, though not perfectly precise, could offer a general timeframe, changing from red to green, then yellow, and finally brown as they healed. In Solange's case, all her bruises appeared to be "contemporaneous," suggesting a brutal confrontation occurred around the time of her death.
As investigators began to inquire about Solange's personal life, her boyfriend, Sheldon Jones, immediately became a person of interest. Neighbors often heard yelling, and Solange frequently appeared with bruises and discoloration. Allora had been staying with Richard almost every night for months due to the domestic abuse between Sheldon and Solange, as she "didn't feel safe there". A major concern was Sheldon's unusual absence on the night Solange was found.
When confronted, Sheldon appeared distraught, crying and confused, initially portraying Solange as abusive towards him. However, he soon admitted to his own violent behavior, describing an incident the Thursday night before, where they had been drinking. He admitted to hitting her, pushing her away, and twisting her breasts. He said he did it because "she wouldn't leave me alone," grabbing "both of them and I twisted as hard as I could". This admission explained the mysterious breast bruises. Sheldon also described a more alarming incident from a week prior, where he put his hands on Solange's neck, applied pressure, and thought he might have obstructed her airways. Such an "escalation process" in abusive relationships, from psychological abuse to more serious violence, can tragically lead to murder.
Dr. Arnal's examination of Solange's neck revealed bruises over the thyroid gland, on the neck muscles, and behind the voice box on the esophagus. This indicated forceful compression that bruised the thyroid cartilage and the esophagus. The presence of "petichiae" – small burst blood vessels in the whites of her eyes – further confirmed that blood vessels in her neck had been compressed. There was "no question this person died as a result of blood trauma to the neck".
Despite this damning evidence of prior violence, Sheldon maintained his innocence regarding Solange's death. He stated he had called Richie around 6:00 PM the night before, telling him he wouldn't be home and would stay with a friend to be close to work the next morning. This alibi was confirmed by his coworker and even neighbors of the coworker, who said they saw him there all night and he never left. So, despite initially appearing to be a strong suspect, Sheldon Jones had an alibi.
Detectives were forced back to the beginning, needing to question everyone who had interacted with Solange the night before. Allora's earlier statement about the light in the studio gained new significance. She recalled her mother turning on the light when she entered the studio, but later, around 5:00 AM, the light was off. Solange normally slept with the light on, making its absence unusual. This suggested that whoever killed her might have entered between 4:00 and 5:00 AM and turned the light off.
Rich, Solange's neighbor, mentioned she had attended a party at Kent Weeks' house earlier that night. It was a common occurrence for Kent to host parties. The news made almost everyone at the party a potential suspect. Interrogating guests revealed that a man named Robbie Kohler had driven Solange home.
The focus now shifted to Robbie Kohler, the fire chief of Jamestown. It was unusual that he hadn't responded to the call when Solange's body was found, despite being on call. Robbie appeared extremely nervous during questioning and seemed reluctant to discuss the incident. He eventually stated that he left Kent's party around 12:30 AM, drove Solange home, and dropped her off in front of her residence around 2:30 AM before driving himself home. This left a concerning two-hour void of time between 12:30 AM and 2:30 or 3:00 AM.
Under further questioning, Robbie became evasive about this time, eventually admitting that he and Solange had parked in front of the fire station. He initially claimed they were "just making out". Later, he admitted to fondling and licking her breasts, stating this went on for a couple of hours. His shifting story – first denying any touching, then admitting to some, then more – made detectives suspicious. Why was the last person seen with Solange not telling the full truth?
Dr. Arnal's autopsy report, detailing evidence of sexual assault, provided crucial information for the detectives confronting Robbie. The bruises on the breast, inner thigh, and arms heightened their suspicion. Furthermore, a small fissure was found in Solange's vagina, indicating an intimate physical encounter that they didn't want. Collected clothing samples revealed semen on her tank top.
Armed with this information, detectives again pressed Robbie. They explained the need for clear and specific answers. But Robbie insisted he had not had sex with Solange and denied being her killer. He suggested another man should be questioned: Thomas A. Robbie claimed that just before he and Solange left, Thomas A had asked Solange if he could drive her home, and it was clear she didn't want to go with him. Robbie recounted seeing Thomas A driving back and forth past the firehouse where he and Solange were parked. Thomas even pulled up next to Robbie's truck to ask if they were okay before driving off.
Despite this new lead, Robbie Kohler still had no alibi for the crucial hours after dropping Solange off. He said he was home, but no one could corroborate his story, leaving him in limbo.
Detectives then shifted their focus to Thomas A. Local residents described him as a "strange guy" whom many in Jamestown disliked. Solange herself had confronted him at the Mercantile one night, telling him, "What you did to me, I've heard you did to other women in this town". This remark, though vague, hinted at a troubling character.
A background check on Thomas A delivered a shocking revelation. Investigators found his name, Thomas Altimus, on the registry of sex offenders in the area. He had a sexual assault in his criminal history from 2006 in Colorado. The reports from that offense described a female who was highly intoxicated and subjected to a "very violent sexual assault". Thomas Altimus had taken her home, sexually assaulted her, and beaten her up.
This grim history painted a concerning picture, especially given Solange's state that night. Allora remembered her mother coming home "drunker than she had ever seen her". Dr. Arnal's toxicology analysis confirmed this, finding significantly higher alcohol levels in Solange's vitrius fluid and urine, indicating her blood alcohol content minutes or hours earlier was much higher. Her blood alcohol was probably over .3, meaning she would have been stumbling drunk and significantly incapacitated. Thomas Altimus was now a prime suspect.
When detectives went to question him, Thomas Altimus was nowhere to be found, though his truck remained at his house. A friend told investigators he had recently given Thomas a shotgun, and that Thomas had disappeared after Solange was found. The friend also mentioned Thomas's interest in a piece of property for sale at the end of his road.
Officers, aware that Thomas possibly had a shotgun, hiked into the hilly, forested area. About 70 yards ahead, something caught an officer's eye. They issued verbal commands, "Show us your hands. Show us your hands". As they approached, they found a man lying on his side, snuggled with a shotgun between his legs, dead from what appeared to be a shotgun wound to the head. They believed it was "possibly Thomas Altimus".
Coroner Hall also hiked up the mountain, conducting a body assessment. The shotgun injury had caused quite an explosion, disrupting the entire head, making visual identification impossible. Dr. Arnal performed another autopsy. He noted soot inside the tissue of the wound, indicating a "contact" wound – the barrel of the gun was touching the skin when discharged. There was no evidence of a struggle. It appeared the individual had placed the shotgun underneath their chin and pulled the trigger.
Fingerprints quickly confirmed the identity: Thomas Altimus. The opinion was that he shot himself because "he didn't want to go back to prison". He likely realized the gravity of the situation the next morning, retrieved the borrowed shotgun, loaded it, and walked up the hillside.
However, even with Altimus dead, detectives still needed concrete proof to connect him definitively to Solange's murder, especially with two other suspects intimately involved with her before her death. "Without the DNA," one detective stated, "your ability to determine which individuals are responsible for what activity would have been severely compromised. In this case, no science, no case".
Two months after Solange's body was discovered, the DNA swab results arrived. Investigators eagerly awaited the findings.
The first suspect: Solange's abusive boyfriend, Sheldon Jones. Sheldon's DNA was found on Solange's breast, around her facial area, and on other bruises. This was anticipated, given their intimate relationship. Sheldon Jones was officially eliminated as the killer.
Next, James Town fire chief, Robbie Kohler. Robbie's DNA was found on her breast, exactly where he had admitted it would be. He, too, was eliminated as the killer, though he remained on the list.
Finally, Thomas Altimus was at the top of the list. His DNA was found on Solange's neck, her wrist, and, most critically, it was inside her vagina. This was the strong information investigators needed. While there was a mixture of DNA, the vaginal swabs pointed solely to Thomas. Sheldon and Robbie could explain their DNA presence, but for Thomas Altimus, "the only possible explanation...is that he is the killer". The discovery of Thomas Altimus's semen, specifically the sperm fraction, was the definitive answer.
Investigators could now piece together the final, tragic hours of Solange Hika's life. Solange and Robbie drove to the fire station, while Altimus watched them from a parking spot. After Robbie dropped Solange off, Altimus waited until she was profoundly intoxicated, perhaps passed out. Knowing the light was on in her studio, he entered, attacked her, sexually assaulted her, and strangled her before leaving and returning to his house.
The case was officially cleared with the death of the offender, Thomas Altimus. It is not uncommon for perpetrators to take their own lives to avoid prison. The forensic science, particularly the DNA evidence, was the key to putting this whole thing together. Without it, the case likely would have gone unsolved, despite a good understanding of what might have occurred.
The investigators sought justice for Solange, her daughter, and her family. They also held Sheldon Jones accountable for the earlier injuries to Solange, filing charges against him. He eventually pleaded guilty to an assault charge, a final statement that you can't get away with this.
Solange Hika's story is a profound tragedy, especially for her daughter, Allora, who lost her mother and best friend. Yet, through meticulous investigative work and the undeniable power of forensic science, a measure of justice was achieved in the quiet mountain town of Jamestown.