Jessica Bejarano was only 25 years-old when her life was tragically taken on April 6th, 2007.
That day, police in Frederick, Colorado responded to a 911 call at her residence on Larkspur Circle. When officers entered the home, they found Jessica unresponsive on her bathroom floor. She had suffered a single stab wound to the chest. The first responders attempted life-saving measures to no avail, and Jessica was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jessica's two children, a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son, were also found in the home when police arrived. The children were reportedly distraught, but physically unharmed. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, "it appeared that [the children] had been unkept for most of the day and may have witnessed the murder."
When the investigation into Jessica's murder began, police initially looked into several suspects, including Jessica's husband. He was eventually cleared after it was determined he was at work at the time of the stabbing. As time passed without any arrests, news about Jessica's murder began to fade. The case soon grew cold.
Nearly 18 years later, in March 2025, a major break was announced: a 72-year-old man named Darrell Burklund had been arrested and charged with Jessica's murder. According to reports, "investigators ultimately obtained DNA evidence that subsequently yielded a potential match" to Burklund. Then, on March 14th, 2025, "investigators conducted a follow-up interview with Burklund. Following the interview, Burklund was arrested and taken into custody at the York County Sheriff’s Detention Center, in York, Nebraska."
Burklund was 54 years-old at the time of the crime. He worked as a maintenance worker. At the time of Burklund's arrest, no further details about the investigation were provided. Although he was arrested in Nebraska, he will face the charges for Jessica's murder in Colorado. The case is currently pending.