Social Media Led Police To Murder Suspect
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The social media connections of a 19-year-old murder victim led police to her suspected killer.
That's according to Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh, who on Friday described the arrest of Joseph Lopez, 22.
McIntosh said in an afternoon news conference that Natalie Bollinger, of Broomfield, was killed by a single gunshot wound to head. She disappeared on Dec. 28 and her body was found the following day on land belonging to McIntosh Dairy.
McIntosh said his investigators contacted Lopez and asked him to come in for questioning on Thursday about the murder. He was arrested after he voluntarily came to do interviews with sheriff's investigators.
"The Adams County Sheriff's Office obtained numerous warrants regarding information relating to Natalie's communication with others," McIntosh said.
"Looking through all of that data, conducting numerous interviews, we were able to develop and identify Joseph Lopez."
McIntosh said Bollinger and Lopez were not in a romantic relationship and hadn't known each other for a very long time before the murder.
The sheriff also said they think they have the murder weapon. They said the gun in question "was around the individual we arrested."
"We have located a weapon. We have not been able to -- because we just came on it -- to tie it to Natalie yet because it's way too early."
Lopez is facing a first-degree murder charge and hasn't made his initial appearance in court yet. The sheriff wasn't willing to discuss the possible motive for the crime.
