Watch CBS News

Arraignment Delayed For Suspect In Killing Of Jessica Ridgeway

GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) - The arraignment of a Colorado teen charged in the grisly slaying and dismemberment of a 10-year-old girl was postponed Tuesday after his lawyers said they still had massive amounts of evidence to study.

Judge Steven Munsinger continued the hearing of 18-year-old Austin Sigg until April 12.

Police have said Sigg previously confessed to killing Jessica Ridgeway, telling investigators he knew what he did was wrong and wanted to give the victim's family some level of comfort.

However, one of Sigg's attorneys, Katherine Spengler, said Tuesday the defense needed to thoroughly analyze all possible defenses, including Sigg's mental state at the time of the crime.

"A race to justice really is no justice at all," she said.

Sigg cannot face the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the slaying. If convicted, he could face life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

Sigg walked into court wearing an orange jumpsuit. He flashed a tight smile and talked with his attorneys before the hearing.

About 10 people, including Jessica's mother, were in the audience, all wearing purple, Jessica's favorite color.

Austin Sigg
Austin Sigg (credit: Jefferson County Sheriff)

Jessica, who lived in the Denver suburb of Westminster, disappeared while walking to school on Oct. 5.

Investigators previously testified that Sigg had confessed to strangling Jessica then dismembering her body in a bathtub. However, he vehemently denied sexually assaulting her.

No semen was found on the girl's body, according to previous testimony in the case. Prosecutors added the sexual assault charges because authorities said they found child pornography during the investigation.

Jessica, a fifth-grade student, disappeared after she left her house to meet a friend just two blocks away so they could walk to school together. Her torso was discovered in a field in the nearby suburb of Arvada, while other remains were found at the home of Sigg's mother after she called police.

At a Feb. 23 preliminary hearing, investigators presented 911 recordings in which Sigg told police, "I murdered Jessica Ridgeway. I have proof that I did it."

Westminster police officer Albert Stutson testified that Sigg told him during questioning that he planned to plead guilty. He asked officials if it would give Jessica's family comfort if he were held accountable. Stutson said Sigg told him "he knew what he did was wrong and that he would make up for it someday."

Officers testified that Sigg told them that some of Jessica's remains were hidden in a crawl space in the home of his mother, where he lived. They said Sigg also told them how he abducted Jessica as she walked past his car. He bound her arms and legs with zip ties, placed her in the back seat and took her to his house, where he strangled her, police said.

Hundreds of local, state and federal officers canvassed the Westminster area after Jessica's disappearance, investigating leads and even taking residents' DNA samples. Parents waited with their children at school bus stops or drove them to and from school. The FBI took the unusual step of asking residents to keep an eye out on neighbors - and even family members - and report suspicious behavior.

One resident contacted authorities Oct. 19 to alert them about Sigg because he had a fascination with death, Westminster detective Luis Lopez testified. Sigg was interested in a mortuary science program at a local community college, police said. Two FBI agents responded and took a DNA sample from Sigg on Oct. 19.

Mindy Sigg told investigator Michael Lynch that her son appeared sick and confessed four days after the FBI visit. He opened the conversation by saying he was a "monster," she said.

Mindy Sigg then called 911 to say her son wanted to turn himself in and had confessed to killing the girl. When the dispatcher asked what her son had said, Mindy Sigg replied, "That he did it, and he gave me details, and her remains are in my house."

Jessica lived in Westminster with her mother, Sarah Ridgeway. Jessica's father, Jeremiah Bryant, lives in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Mo.

Sigg also faces an attempted kidnapping charge for the attack on a 22-year-old woman who was running at a lake across the street from Jessica's elementary school.

- By THOMAS PEIPERT, Associated Press

Associated Press writer P. Solomon Banda contributed to this report.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.