1981 …
Denver, Colorado …
Patrica Beard was violently strangled in her studio apartment. Patricias gruesome murder would later be the 100th murder to be solved in July 2013 by a group known as Denver Cold Case team.
At the time, 32 year old Patrica Beard was known to be mentally disabled. Her family would often call or stop by to check on her. When she hadn’t been heard from in several days, they knew something wasn’t right.
According to the Denver Post, Ms. Beard was found in her studio apartment, partially clothed, and dead on her bed. In 2011, DNA evidence from a crime scene kit was entered into a database. In 2013, investigators got a hit!
The DNA found at the crime scene belonged to a 53 year old Pennsylvania man, named Hector Bencomo-Hinojos. Hinojos claimed to have never known or been in contact with Ms. Beard. However, DNA evidence proved Hinojos had sexual contact with Ms. Beard within hours of her death. Bencomo-Hinojos faces charges of murder in the 1st degree.