KARA NANCY NICHOLS: State of Colorado vs Joel Hollendorfer for murder/manslaughter *GUILTY*

Kara Nancy Nichols

Nichols, circa 2012;
Missing Since: 10/09/2012
Missing From: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Classification: Endangered Missing
Sex: Female
Race: White
Date of Birth: 05/20/1993 (26)
Age: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 115 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A hooded sweatshirt, dark-colored jeans, white DC sneakers and hot pink ear gauges.
Medical Conditions: Nichols may suffer from bipolar disorder and/or borderline personality disorder.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair, green eyes. Nicholas a tattoo of a small marijuana leaf on her right ankle, and tattoos of small spacemen on both wrists. Photos of her wrist tattoos are posted with this case summary. She has gauged ears. Her back is pierced, her navel is pierced and she has a piercing between her upper lip and her nose on the right side of her mouth.

Details of Disappearance
Nichols was last seen in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 9, 2012. She left her home in the 6700 block of Mission Road, en route to Denver, Colorado with two unidentified brunette women, but it's unclear whether she ever arrived there. The last call on her cellular phone was placed at 11:45 p.m. She has never been heard from again.

Nichols is described as a very social person who maintained regular contact with family and friends and frequently used social media; all this contact stopped the night of her disappearance. She also left behind her purse, identification, money, clothes, makeup and other belongings.

Her mother stated Nichols's behavior changed considerably when she was a teenager: she was arrested for shoplifting at age thirteen, started using heroin, and ran away from home at sixteen. Her parents tried to get her psychiatric help and counseling, but Nichols resisted taking the medication prescribed for her.

She enrolled in several different alternative schools, eventually graduating from Life Skills of Colorado Springs. After graduation, she took a waitressing job and began modeling. She continued to use drugs, however, even after she moved with her parents to Chicago, Illinois. She enrolled in a drug treatment program, but was discharged for failure to follow the rules.

Nichols eventually returned to Colorado Springs on her own and lived with roommates. She traveled frequently to Denver to look for modeling work and had placed a profile on the online modeling website Model Mayhem before she vanished. She was having financial problems and authorities believe she had been involved in prostitution for up to two years before she disappeared.

Nichols's case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.

Investigating Agency
El Paso County Sheriff's Office 719-390-5555
Source Information
Facebook Page for Kara Nichols
NamUs
KRDO
ABC News
The Daily Mail
7 News
The Denver Post

Kara Nancy Nichols – The Charley Project

edited by staff to add media link

KARA NANCY NICHOLS has been missing from Colorado Springs, #COLORADO since 9 Oct 2012 - Age 19

She left her home in the 6700 block of Mission Road, en route to Denver, Colorado with two unidentified brunette women, but it's unclear whether she ever arrived there. The last call on her cellular phone was placed at 11:45 p.m. She has never...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[kdg411]

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Seven years of Dateline's Missing in America: 156 still missing

Dateline NBC's social and digital series 'Missing in America' began on December 5, 2013, following a question the night before to our Facebook community, "Do you know anyone who has simply vanished?" The response was overwhelming. Since that first post, every week we have tried to feature the...

www.nbcnews.com

Kara Nichols, an aspiring model, was reported missing on October 9, 2012. At the time of her disappearance, the 19-year-old was en route from her home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she lived with two roommates, to Denver for a modeling shoot. After eightyears of searching and countless interviews, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office has been unable to find any significant leads, and are encouraging anyone with information to reach out. They told Dateline the case is still considered open and active, but have not said if they believe foul play is involved. Anyone with information about Kara’s case should call the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at (719) 390-5555.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DEVELOPING: Possible remains of missing woman Kara Nichols located in Black Forest area

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has announced that possible remains of Kara Nichols, a woman who disappeared in October of 2012, have been located in the Black Forest area.

www.fox21news.com

BREAKING: Possible remains of missing woman Kara Nichols located in Black Forest area​

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has announced that possible remains of Kara Nichols, a woman who disappeared in October of 2012, have been located in the Black Forest area.

“I want the Nichols family to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers. This has been a long and difficult road,” El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder.

During a cold case review, a witness to the cold case was contacted and was able to provide a new lead in the case, bringing investigators to conduct a forensic search in the Black Forest area.

Remains were found in the 9600 block of Burgess Road and have been tentatively identified to belong to Nichols. Positive identification will be made soon by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office.

Joel Hollendorfer has been booked into the El Paso County Jail on charges of second degree murder. His charges will be reviewed in the upcoming weeks.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[Kimster]

COLORADO SPRINGS — Police believe they found the remains of 19-year-old aspiring model, Kara Nichols, nearly 10 years after she went missing.

Nichols, who attempted to spark her modeling career at age 19, told her friends she would be traveling from Colorado Springs to Denver for a photoshoot in 2012 on Oct. 9. She wouldn't be seen again.


"A witness was located and interviewed. There was critical information given in that interview which provided a significant new lead," said Sheriff Bill Elder.

Her body was found off of Burgess Road in Black Forest, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were also on the scene.

El Paso County Sheriff's Office
46-year-old Joel Hollendorfer.
Police have arrested 46-year-old Joel Hollendorfer in connection with Nichols' murder. He is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Hollendorfer is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Police confirm remains of Kara Nichols found, 10 years after she went missing

Police believe they found the remains of 19-year-old aspiring model, Kara Nichols, nearly 10 years after she went missing.

www.koaa.com

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: Joel Hollendorfer's preliminary hearing set

A preliminary hearing has been set for a Black Forest man accused of killing Kara Nichols, who went missing nearly 10 years ago, an El Paso County judge ruled Wednesday.

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: Joel Hollendorfer's preliminary hearing set​

A preliminary hearing has been set for a Black Forest man accused of killing Kara Nichols, who went missing nearly 10 years ago, an El Paso County judge ruled Wednesday.

The Sept. 15 hearing will go over more than 17,000 pages of evidence, said a lawyer for Joel Hollendorfer, who is accused of killing 19-year-old Nichols, an aspiring model, and lying about it for years as her remains decomposed in a shallow grave on his Black Forest property.

In a court hearing earlier this month, lawyers asked for more time to go over 15,397 pages of evidence. Since then, about 1,700 more pages have been added for lawyers to study.

A judge will decide if the evidence is enough for a trial.

In early February, the Sheriff's Office announced that investigators found human remains belonging to Nichols on the 9600 block of Burgess Road in Black Forest.

An affidavit alleges that Hollendorfer met with Nichols after she advertised "escort services" and strangled her.

Nichols was reported missing Oct. 14, 2012, after no one had seen or heard from her in five days. Hollendorfer was questioned by police after her disappearance, but no arrests were made, and the case drifted into cold-case status until early 2022, when investigators spoke with a previously uncooperative witness who said Hollendorfer had confessed to the killing. He also told her where the body was buried.

Hollendorfer has been in custody since Feb. 7, when he was arrested on an unrelated warrant. Later that month, the charges against him were upgraded to first-degree murder, and bond was revoked.

He appeared in court Wednesday in an orange prison jumpsuit, with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Fourth Judicial District Judge William Bain told those involved in the case — including law enforcement agencies — to not talk about Hollendorfer's murder case outside of the court, with defense attorney Charlotte Ankeny saying that the case has gained national and international attention.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: Judge determines Joel Hollendorfer will face trial

An El Paso County judge determined Thursday that Joel Hollendorfer will stand trial in the death of Kara Nichols, whom he is accused of strangling before reportedly burying her body

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: Judge determines Joel Hollendorfer will face trial​

An El Paso County judge determined Thursday that Joel Hollendorfer will stand trial in the death of Kara Nichols, whom he is accused of strangling before reportedly burying her body in his backyard on top of the remains of a horse.

Civilian investigator Tammy Gugliotta testified that Hollendorfer had been in contact with Nichols on Oct. 9, 2012, the last day she was seen alive. She worked as an escort and Hollendorfer was trying to set up a meeting between the two.

Phone records presented by the prosecution show that the two had contact via text and phone calls throughout the night of Oct. 9.


From there, the case went cold until January 2022, when investigators reached out to Hollendorfer's ex-wife, who was uncooperative with the investigation when the two were married during the initial investigation.

During interviews with investigators, Hollendorfer's ex-wife said he had told her he accidently "killed and strangled an escort" and "buried the body on top of a horse at the farm," El Paso County Detective Jennifer Arndt testified.

Arndt said Hollendorfer's ex-wife wasn't certain if her husband was lying to her, and she had considered that maybe he was using it to intimidate her. Several witnesses on Thursday said Hollendorfer had an abusive relationship with his ex-wife, who since has remarried and moved to Virginia.


El Paso County Coroner Leon Kelly testified that he couldn't determine a cause of death because Nichols' remains were so decomposed, but that a toxicology report indicated she was "probably" intoxicated with heroin at the time of her death.

Kelly testified that someone intoxicated on a significant amount of heroin would potentially be more likely to die as a result of brief strangulation where a healthy person would not, and that Nichols had a potentially lethal level of drugs in her system.

Jennifer Cox, Hollendorfer's defense attorney, implied that Nichols died while with Hollendorfer, either via strangulation during sex or a drug overdose, and that out of "fear" he hid the body in his backyard.

"The evidence in this case supports an accident," Cox told the judge during closing arguments. "There is no proof of any level of intent."

The prosecution refuted the claims presented by Cox by pointing to the testimony of Gugliotta, who said that earlier on the evening of Oct. 9, Nichols was with a friend who said she had used the last of her drugs while they were together. The two were together hours before Nichols supposedly met with Hollendorfer, so the prosecution said the drugs couldn't have been the primary cause of her death and homicide had to be the only answer.

Judge William Bain ultimately determined that there was enough evidence presented during the preliminary hearing to send Hollendorfer to trial, and for him to remain in El Paso County jail without bond.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Family of a 19-year-old murdered in southern Colorado 10 years ago speak out for the first time

After hours of testimony Preliminary Hearing on Thursday, a judge denied bail for Joel Hollendorfer, the man accused of killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols in 2012. Her remains were found in 2022.

www.koaa.com

Family of a 19-year-old murdered in southern Colorado 10 years ago speak out for the first time​

On Thursday, the family of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, the woman who detectives believe was murdered in 2012, attended court for the first time.

"There's dread...I don't want to hear what's about to come, but then there's hope that there will be justice for my daughter, for God sakes, justice," said Paul Nichols, Kara's father, reflecting on how it felt to be in the courtroom.


After hours of testimony, the judge denied bail for Hollendorfer.

"This is a gentleman that has been out on the streets in Colorado Springs for 10 years, putting the community at risk. This man never should get out of prison," said Paul.


"I hope that people remember Kara for the person she was, the child, the teenager, the daughter, the friend, the wonderful young woman that we knew her to be who was raised here," said Julia.

Another friend of Kara's called her a "caring person" and went on to say, "We all make mistakes and we all have bad experiences in life, but those bad experiences can't define us."


Nichols's family members say they will continue to appear at future court proceedings.

Hollendorefer's plea hearing is scheduled for January 11, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

Hollendorfer's charges were previously upgraded from 2nd Degree Murder to 1st Degree Murder.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man to plead not guilty in teen's strangulation death

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenage escort and burying her in the backyard of his parents' farm on top of a rotting horse carcass will plead

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man to plead not guilty in teen's strangulation death​

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenage escort and burying her in the backyard of his parents' farm on top of a rotting horse carcass will plead not guilty to the charges next month, his attorney said Wednesday.

Joel Hollendorfer was scheduled to enter a plea this week, but defense attorney Jennifer Cox asked for a continuance to allow for more time on Hollendorfer's speedy trial clock, which is a defendant's right to a trial within six months of entering a plea.

Cox indicated that she expected the judge to set Hollendorfer's trial for June. Hollendorfer is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in the death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, who was reported missing in October 2012.

 

[Kimster]

I'm glad they went for the 1st degree murder charges. I don't know about other states, but ours is starting to reduce sentences for violent criminals. It's dangerous!

 

[Mel70]

I'm glad they went for the 1st degree murder charges. I don't know about other states, but ours is starting to reduce sentences for violent criminals. It's dangerous!

That is the complete opposite of what is needed. Are they blind?!! The big problem I see is letting out child molesters, Rapists, Sex offenders. They will just do it again. And eventually, Usually the first crime after parole they kill the victim. The sex offender registry DOES NOT WORK! And law makers, Parole boards act like they don't get it. The public seems to grasp the problem.

 

[Mel70]

Wow. She started using heroin at 13. Had run away before, So LE didn't do much. I thought they were going to research every case and not pass it off anymore by that excuse. She was a sex worker and murdered before making it to 20. I'm not blaming her. Someone should have been looking after her. It kind of says to me that her home life wasn't a happy one. Rest in peace Kara.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man accused of teen's death to face trial this summer

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenager over a decade ago will go to trial this summer after pleading not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man accused of teen's murder to face trial this summer​

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenager over a decade ago will go to trial this summer after pleading not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

Joel Hollendorfer is accused of first-degree murder as well as tampering with physical evidence in the death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, a sex worker who was reported missing in October 2012.

During an arraignment hearing on Wednesday Hollendorfer's attorney Jennifer Cox entered pleas of not guilty to all charges, and requested a trial start date of June 12, which was accepted by Judge William Bain as well as the prosecution.

Cox had initially planned to enter not guilty pleas at Hollendorfer's previous arraignment hearing last month, but the hearing was continued to allow for more time on Hollendorfer's speedy trial clock, which is a defendant's right to a trial within six months of entering a plea.

 

[Mel70]

Again with the defendant's rights! THEIR precious rights. I was watching a program the other day. And it was a family member of a murder victim. They said "THEIR rights!!! What about HER rights?! What about OUR rights?! He shouldn't be allowed to breathe. Exactly.

 

[Guess Who]

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man accused of teen's death to face trial this summer

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenager over a decade ago will go to trial this summer after pleading not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: El Paso County man accused of teen's murder to face trial this summer​

An El Paso County man accused of strangling a teenager over a decade ago will go to trial this summer after pleading not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

Joel Hollendorfer is accused of first-degree murder as well as tampering with physical evidence in the death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, a sex worker who was reported missing in October 2012.

During an arraignment hearing on Wednesday Hollendorfer's attorney Jennifer Cox entered pleas of not guilty to all charges, and requested a trial start date of June 12, which was accepted by Judge William Bain as well as the prosecution.

Cox had initially planned to enter not guilty pleas at Hollendorfer's previous arraignment hearing last month, but the hearing was continued to allow for more time on Hollendorfer's speedy trial clock, which is a defendant's right to a trial within six months of entering a plea.

Why does her profession seem to be the most of her story? Would it have been the same if she had been a checker at WM? Why can't it just be that she was a 19 year old that went missing?

 

[Mel70]

I agree. IMO. The victim has already been humiliated, Murdered. So downplay it's importance by reporting they were a sex worker. At least it's a little kinder title than used before. "They were just a hooker, Whore, Prostitute" Etc. But I still IMO don't think they put as much effort in these cases as they should.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Kara Nichols murder case: Defense objects to expanded media coverage

Jury selection is set to begin next month in the trial of an El Paso County man accused of strangling a sex worker and hiding her body in the backyard

gazette.com

• Zachary Dupont zachary.dupont@gazette.com
• May 24, 2023 Updated 11 hrs ago

Jury selection is set to begin next month in the trial of an El Paso County man accused of strangling a sex worker and hiding her body in the backyard of his parents' farm on top of a rotting horse carcass.

<snip>

During a hearing on Wednesday, both the defense and prosecution announced that they were ready for trial, confirming that jury selection will begin on June 12. Hollendorfer pleaded not guilty to all charges in February.

Defense attorney Michael Bowman spent the majority of Wednesday's hearing objecting to a request for expanded media coverage of the trial.

Judge William Bain said the request would allow for the trial to be recorded and redistributed on platforms such as YouTube. Bowman argued that allowing the trial to be broadcast on platforms with little to no comment moderation would be "disruptive" to court proceedings and could potentially impact the trial.

Bowman referenced a "recent eight-week trial" in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court that was broadcast by third parties on YouTube and other platforms in which Bowman claims defense attorneys, witnesses and the defendant were mocked and harassed by online commentators.

"It's exceptionally destructive and exceptionally problematic," Bowman said.

Prosecuting attorney Christina Perroni said the prosecution had no position on the expanded media request and would defer to the judgment of the court. Bain did not make a ruling, taking Bowman's objection under advisement.

Defense attorneys also told Bain that they would move to dismiss the tampering with physical evidence charge because they say the statute of limitations had expired. Bain told the defense that it must file the motion by the end of Wednesday.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: Opening statements in first day of trial, father of victim testifies

Nearly 11 years after 19-year-old Kara Nichols was reported missing in 2012, her alleged killer's trial finally began this week.

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: Opening statements in first day of trial, father of victim testifies​

Nearly 11 years after 19-year-old Kara Nichols was reported missing in 2012, her alleged killer's trial finally began this week.

The trial against Joel Hollendorfer — accused of killing Nichols on Oct. 10, 2012 — began on Monday with jury selection, but attorneys were given the opportunity to give their opening statements to the 14-person jury on Tuesday morning.

Prosecutor Christina Perroni gave her opening statements, and began by showing a picture of Nichols to the jury.

"This is Kara Nichols... before she met the defendant, Joel Hollendorfer," Perroni said displaying a picture of Nichols at her high school graduation.

Kara Nichols’ alleged killer faces trial 10 years later

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — Nearly 11 years after 19-year-old Kara Nichols was originally reported missing, the man accused of killing her is in court this week to face charges in connection to her m…

www.fox21news.com

Kara Nichols’ alleged killer faces trial 10 years later​

Nearly 11 years after 19-year-old Kara Nichols was originally reported missing, the man accused of killing her is in court this week to face charges in connection to her murder.

A tip from Joel Hollendorfer’s ex-wife led investigators to Nichols’ body in 2022, at a property in Black Forest where Hollendorfer and his parents lived for years.

Nichols was reportedly working as an escort at the time of her death, and the tip from Hollendorfer’s ex-wife alleged that he admitted to accidentally killing Nichols after responding to one of her ads and meeting up with her. He then buried her body at the Black Forest property, over an old horse grave, according to the tip.

On Feb. 3, 2022, authorities visited a spot on the Black Forest property that had been flagged by cadaver dogs a decade ago, but wasn’t excavated until 2022. Human remains were found at the site, and they were later confirmed to be Nichols’.

Advocates for Nichols said on Facebook that opening statements began in Hollendorfer’s murder trial on Tuesday morning, June 13, 2023. Hollendorfer faces multiple charges including First Degree Murder and Tampering With and Destroying Physical Evidence.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Kara Nichols murder case: Defendant's ex-wife testifies, claims he confessed to Nichols' killing in 2014

Prosecutors called a key witness to the stand on Friday in the murder case against Joel Hollendorfer: his ex-wife, Kristina Palmer.

gazette.com

• Zachary Dupont zachary.dupont@gazette.com
• Jun 16, 2023 Updated 14 hrs ago

Prosecutors called a key witness to the stand on Friday in the murder case against Joel Hollendorfer: his ex-wife, Kristina Palmer.

Hollendorfer is accused of killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols in 2012 after paying her for sex, and burying her in the backyard of his family's farm, where her body wouldn't be discovered until 2022.

Palmer was the second witness to take the stand on Friday, and spent nearly all of her testimony discussing one thing: the alleged admission to the murder that Hollendorfer gave to Palmer in 2014.

<snip>

Palmer testified that Hollendorfer told her that he had become overwhelmed with guilt and felt responsible for his father's death. Palmer testified that Hollendorfer told her that, in 2012, he accidentally killed an escort at a parking lot he drove her to, choking her as they were having sex.

"I believe he said, 'I must have gone too long, I didn't mean for that to happen,'" Palmer said. "He told me he freaked out, because he didn't know what to do, and that he buried her on the property."

Hollendorfer went on to tell Palmer, according to her testimony, that he felt responsible for his father's heart attack because he told his father about the killing, and about Nichols' body being buried in the farm, after law enforcement had conducted a search of the farm.