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April 9, 1954 Rocky Mountain News, Girl Found Slain Near Boulder! – Girl's Battered Nude Body Discovered West of Boulder, by Ken Pearce and Jack Gaskie

The battered nude body of a girl was found Thursday night on the rocky banks of Boulder Creek, 7 1/2 miles west of Boulder.

"There is no doubt she was murdered," Boulder County Sheriff Art Everson told reporters.

The body of the red-haired girl was found by two Colorado University students who were taking photographs in Boulder Canon. They marked the spot and rushed back to Boulder by car to report their finding.

ABOUT 17 YEARS OLD
The girl, whose age was estimated at about 17, had been lying on the creek bank for about a week, Everson said. Her body had been gnawed and torn by animals. Officials said positive age determination was difficult.

The strongest indication of murder was the almost total lack of blood smears at the scene, investigators said. They said the girl might have been killed elsewhere and her body dumped down the steep embankment.

Everson and a part of Boulder police and sheriff's deputies planned to return to the scene early Friday morning to look for clues.

FOUND BY STUDENTS
The body was found at 6:15 p.m. Thursday by Wayne Swanson, 19, of Batavia, Ill., and Jim Andes, 19, of Mackinaw, Ill. Both are students at CU.

There were no reports of young girls missing from the university or the city of Boulder, Everson said.

However, a search of Denver police files produced the names of two girls whose descriptions match closely with that of the victim. Both girls have been reported missing.

They are Katherine Dyer, 24, of 1118 Washington St., and Nancy Ann Purdue, 18, of 1520 Race St.

Mrs. Dyer, who is separated from her husband, James, disappeared March 26, her landlady, Mrs. L.N. Humbarger, said. She vanished sometime between midnight and 7 a.m. and has not been seen since, Mrs. Humbarger said.

SHE TINTED HER HAIR
Mrs. Dyer, an elevator pilot at the American Furniture Co., was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, 110 pounds, of slender build. Her hair was blond, but she frequently tinted it red, Mrs. Humbarger said. She was wearing blue slacks when seen last.

Miss Purdue disappeared April 1. She was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 140 pounds, with blond hair.

Both descriptions were close to that of the slain girl.

The vistim was 5 feet 5 1/2 inches tall and weighed between 110 and 115 pounds. Her hiar was reddish brown, Everson said.

The girl was found lying on her back, a few feet from the waters of Boulder Creek.

Anyone could have seen her body by looking down the embankment from the roadway if on foot. Colorado 119 runs through the canon.

"She undoubedly was rolled down the embankment from the roadway," Everson said.

IT'S A 29-FOOT DROP
There is a 29-foot drop, down a 45-degree embankment, from the roadway to the edge of the water.

An autopsy was being performed early Friday by Dr. F.L. James, a pathologist. However, the girl's obvious injuries were a compound frature of the left arm, broken jaw, and forehead abrasions.

The injuries could have been inflicted by a brutal beating, by being struck by an auto, or by several other methods, Everson said.

The girl's teeth were perfect. They had no fillings – a factor that could impede identification, the sheriff said.

Joining Everson in the investigation are Joseph J. Dolan, deputy district attorney; Boulder Police Chief Myron Teegarden; and Boulder City Detectives Roy Hendrics and Roy Hill.

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