Man arrested over cold case murder of a woman found in a shallow grave

An Alaska man has been arrested, suspected of the murder of a woman buried unclothed in a shallow grave nearly 17 years ago. John Angerer (pictured left), 53, was arrested in Anchorage last Thursday on a charge of second-degree murder. He is suspected of killing Angela Wilds (pictured top right), 38, in 2006 and was previously jailed for her murder for nearly five months before being released in 2010 due to lack of evidence.

After working tirelessly on the case, interviewing new witnesses and working with forensic teams to solve the mystery, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said in a statement: ‘I am glad that we were able move our investigation into the homicide of Angela Wilds forward. I am proud that our detectives didn’t give up on this cold case, we know Angela’s family has been waiting a long time for this day to come.’

Angela Wilds’ body was found ‘badly decomposing’ by two hikers in the South St. Vrain Canyon outside of Lyons on 4 June 2006. She was found wearing only a ‘cross ring’ (pictured) on her left hand. 

The body appeared to have been dragged from a nearby shallow grave by an animal. Authorities found clothes and a sleeping bag near the grave. DNA testing finally confirmed her identity in November 2006. An outside pathologist judged that Wilds died of homicide by asphyxiation after the Boulder County Coroner’s Office was unable to rule on the cause of death.

DNA linked to Angerer was found near where the body was found in 2009 and Angerer was arrested in 2010 and charged with second-degree murder. Angerer was released from jail after five months when a judge ruled that there was not enough evidence against him. Public defender Seth Temin said at that hearing: ‘They need to produce evidence first that Angerer is the person who caused the death of another. ‘They haven’t done that, Judge. They can’t even place him at the scene of the death, nor can they say how or where she died.’

But the continued investigation into the murder of Angela Wilds finally uncovered significant new evidence, which has not been detailed. Prosecutors did say this included interviewing new witnesses and consulting with forensic teams. Angerer was arrested for a second time on Thursday 9 March in Anchorage and his extradition to Boulder County, where Wilds was found, was pending. He was indicted in February by a grand jury on one count of second-degree murder.

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