John Michael Angerer has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the 2006 death of Angela Wilds, whose body was found near a shallow grave in Colorado, according to the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. The plea resolves a cold case that spanned nearly two decades, overcoming previous legal hurdles where initial murder charges were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
The Discovery of Angela Wilds in Colorado
In June 2006, two hikers discovered a decomposed female body outside a shallow grave near the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, according to Boulder County prosecutors. Wally Gobetz and the Juneau Police Department documented the grim scene where a scavenger had reportedly dug the body partially out of the earth. Investigators located a folded sleeping bag, a pillow, and a pair of yellow ski pants beside the site. For four months, the identity of the woman remained unknown. The only initial clue was a cross ring worn on her left hand, which the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office publicized in October 2006. Soon after, a woman contacted authorities to report that her missing friend, 38-year-old Angela “Angie” Wilds, wore a matching ring. DNA extracted from Wilds’ sisters confirmed her identity the following month, as reported by Denver7.
Did you know?
Investigators relied on a cross ring worn on the victim’s left hand to establish her identity after four months of anonymity, ultimately leading to DNA confirmation from her family members.
Conflicting Medical Examiner Reports and Cause of Death
Establishing how Angela Wilds died proved challenging for forensic experts. According to initial reports cited by Daily Mail, the first medical examiner found no gunshot or stab wounds and could not rule out a natural death followed by burial. However, two subsequent forensic pathologists reviewed the case files years later and classified the death as a homicide. One concluded she likely died from oxygen deprivation, while the other attributed the cause to violence, neither examining the body in person.
DNA Evidence and the 2010 Dismissal
Investigators recovered DNA from an unknown male on Wilds’ remains and on several items left at the grave site. By 2009, that profile matched John Michael Angerer, who was living in Anchorage, Alaska at the time. Prosecutors charged Angerer with murder in 2010, but he denied knowing Wilds or ever visiting the Colorado mountain canyon. While witnesses placed Angerer and Wilds together in the months before her death, and police established he was an experienced outdoorsman familiar with the terrain, a judge dismissed the case after an initial evidentiary hearing, ruling the physical evidence insufficient to prove he caused her death.
Cold Case Revival and Grand Jury Indictment
Local investigators kept the file open, reinterviewing witnesses, developing new leads, and submitting items to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for advanced DNA testing, supported by the FBI and independent forensic reviewers. In February 2023, a grand jury indicted Angerer on a murder charge based on the renewed findings, and authorities arrested him in Alaska the following month. Defense attorney Julia Stancil argued that the DNA on the shared sleeping bag—which had reportedly circulated through a shelter and contained genetic material from four men—had an innocent explanation, pointing out that Wilds also suffered from a serious heart condition.
Plea Deal and Three-Year Sentence
Two previous trials ended in mistrials after juries deadlocked on unanimous verdicts, setting the stage for a third court proceeding. Instead, Angerer entered a guilty plea to criminally negligent homicide this week, according to Boulder County prosecutors. The original charge of intentional murder was dropped as part of the agreement. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty noted in a press release that the admission of responsibility cannot undo the loss. Angerer received a three-year prison sentence, with credit for time already served in custody.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was convicted in the 2006 case?
John Michael Angerer pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of Angela Wilds.
When was Angela Wilds found?
Hikers found her body in June 2006 near a shallow grave in Colorado, though her identity was not confirmed until months later via family DNA testing.
What sentence did Angerer receive?
According to the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Angerer was sentenced to three years in prison, minus time served, after dropping the original intentional murder charge in exchange for the guilty plea.
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