Boulder County, Colo. - Today, defendant John Angerer (DOB 7/28/69) pled guilty to Criminally Negligent Homicide (F5) in the 2006 death of Angela Wilds.

Angerer was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections, with credit for time served, followed by a two-year period of mandatory parole. This outcome provides a measure of accountability and represents a step toward closure for the victim’s family, who have waited twenty years for justice.

When the case was initially prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office in 2010, it was dismissed by the Court. More recently, this cold case homicide has undergone extensive re-investigation and two full jury trials. In the first trial, the jury hung 11–1, unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A second trial, completed recently, resulted in a 6–6 deadlock. Following these outcomes, and facing the prospect of a third trial, this resolution was reached and Angerer chose to accept responsibility and enter a guilty plea.

On June 4, 2006, two hikers located a badly decomposing body in the South Saint Vrain Canyon, roughly 3.3 miles outside of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County, Colorado. The body was completely nude, except for a cross ring on the left hand. The body appeared to have been dragged from a nearby shallow grave, presumably by a large predator. Deputies located a pair of yellow ski pants, a sleeping bag, and a pillow in a pillowcase, all neatly folded up near the gravesite. There was no information in the area that identified the victim. Tragically, she remained unidentified for months.

In November of 2006, DNA analysis confirmed the woman’s identity as Angela Wilds (DOB: 02/28/1968). Law enforcement conducted an extensive investigation. In 2009, the investigators connected John Angerer to the crime scene and, also, to the victim.

Detectives drafted an arrest warrant for Angerer. A judge authorized the arrest warrant. In 2010, Angerer was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder. The case proceeded to a preliminary hearing on July 12, 2010. Based on the evidence prosecutors presented at the preliminary hearing, a judge determined that the charge was not supported by probable cause and, as a result, dismissed the case.

Following a dismissal at this juncture, an individual can only be re-arrested and prosecuted if significant, new evidence is developed that supports a renewed prosecution.

Over the years, investigators with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and this District Attorney’s Office continued to work on the case. That investigation has included identifying new witnesses, re-interviewing individuals previously known to law enforcement, consulting with forensic pathologists, and submitting further items to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for testing and DNA analysis.

The renewed investigation ultimately led the District Attorney’s Office to present the case to the Boulder County Grand Jury. On February 16, 2023, the Grand Jury returned an indictment for Second Degree Murder, later unsealed following Angerer’s arrest in Anchorage, Alaska.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “Angela Wilds was a daughter, a friend, and a human being who deserved justice and dignity. For twenty years, her family has carried the painful weight of not knowing whether justice would ever be done. Today’s plea doesn’t erase their loss, but it does represent a measure of accountability and a meaningful step toward honoring Angela’s life. I am grateful to our investigators, prosecutors, and law enforcement partners who refused to give up on this case and their commitment to pursue justice in Boulder County’s cold cases. Their commitment ensures that Angela is not forgotten. Under the circumstances, and following these two trials, today’s outcome is justice.”

Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson stated, “Angela Wilds’ family has waited a very long time for closure, and today’s guilty plea is an important step toward that. Our detectives never stopped working this case, and I am proud of their persistence and dedication.”