Suspect arrested in slaying of CU student
Boulder police announced Sunday that they are holding 38-year-old Diego Olmos-Alcalde from Chile on a $5 million bail in the 1997 murder case of CU senior Susannah Chase.
Police Chief Mark Beckner led a news conference Sunday to discuss the arrest of Olmos-Alcalde whose DNA has been identified as a possible match with DNA obtained through semen found on Chase’s body.
The suspect is facing murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault charges and is being held at Boulder County Jail.
Police took DNA from Olmos-Alcalde while he was in prison in Wyoming for a felony kidnapping charge. He was released in June.
Olmos-Alcalde was arrested Sunday morning as a suspect in the Chase murder case.
Police released a statement from Chase’s parents, Hal and Julie Chase: “As you might imagine our emotions have run the gamut since we first heard of the DNA match with Susannah’s case. We are delighted that a suspect has been identified and apprehended.”
Police say Chase was attacked and beaten Dec. 21, 1997, near her home at the corner of 18th and Spruce. She was found nearly unrecognizable in a nearby alley and died two days later.
Chase’s murder was never solved. The investigation has been ongoing.
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Contact Campus Press News Editor Kate Spencer at Katherine.a.spencer@colorado.edu.
