Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Murder of Paige Birgfeld
2007 disappearance and murder of a woman in Colorado, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The murder of Paige Birgfeld occurred on June 28, 2007, in Grand Junction, Colorado.[1][2] Birgfeld, a 34-year-old woman, was reported missing by her 8-year-old daughter. On July 1, 2007, Birgfeld's red Ford Focus car was found on fire in a parking lot, without any trace of Birgfeld. The investigation into her disappearance took an unexpected turn when it was discovered that Birgfeld was living a double life as an escort in a secret business called Models Inc., under the alias "Carrie".[1]
Her remains were discovered on March 6, 2012, in the Route 50 area of Wells Gulch in Delta County,[3][4] approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Grand Junction.[4] Among the remains was duct tape, leading authorities to conclude that Birgfeld had been kidnapped and murdered.[3] Lester Ralph Jones was the prime suspect in Birgfeld's disappearance.[5] Jones was Birgfeld's former client with a history of domestic violence.[5][6][7] In November 2014, 63-year-old Jones was charged with kidnapping, first-degree murder, felony murder, and second-degree murder involving the death of Paige Birgfeld.[6][7] On December 27, 2016, Jones was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[8] Jones is currently serving his sentence at the Fremont Correctional Facility.[9]
The disappearance and murder of Birgfeld attracted national attention and become subject of extensive media coverage.[10][11][12]
Remove ads
Victim
Summarize
Perspective
Paige Meredith Birgfeld[13] was born on April 27, 1973, in Atlanta, Georgia.[14] At some point she along with her parents moved to Denver, Colorado, where she attended high school.[13] In 1995, Birgfeld married her high school boyfriend, Howard "Ron" Beigler.[15] Birgfeld studied nursing for a period at the University of Florida.[16] They divorced in 1997 because Beigler did not want children and Birgfeld did. Her parents, Suzanne and Frank Birgfeld, described her as "a loving, devoted, and excellent mother".[15][17]
In 1997, Birgfeld met Rob Dixon, a wealthy businessman whom she married a year later.[18] The couple moved to a big house on Hill Avenue, in Grand Junction, Colorado.[19][20] Birgfeld and Dixon had three children: Jess, Taft, and Kohl.[21] The two had a complicated and volatile relationship, to the point where Birgfeld called 911 after a dispute in 2004.[8][18] Birgfeld stated that her husband had threatened that she would "come home and find [their children] all murdered".[21] A year later, Birgfeld accused Dixon of attacking her, leading to him being charged with third-degree assault.[8][18] In 2006, they divorced, and Dixon moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[8][18] Birgfeld kept the house and custody of their three children.
Birgfeld worked different jobs after her second divorce,[22] including her pre-school dance business and sold high-end kitchen supplies for a company called Pampered Chef.[18][22] At the time of her disappearance, Birgfeld had started reconnecting romantically with her first ex-husband, Howard Beigler.[18]
Remove ads
Disappearance
Summarize
Perspective
On June 28, 2007, Birgfeld left her home around 1 p.m. to meet Beigler for a picnic day.[23] They were together until 7 p.m., then they separated and kept in touch via phone call.[23] Beigler was one of the last people to speak to and see Birgfeld alive.[23] Birgfeld never came home.
Later, Birgfeld's 8-year-old daughter, Jess, went to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office to report her mother missing after she did not return home.[1][2] After Birgfeld's disappearance, her brother, Craig, moved with his family from Seattle, Washington, to Birgfeld's house to help take care of her three kids.[18] Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey was convinced that Birgfeld had not left of her own accord.[18]
On July 1, around 10 p.m., a 911 call reported what was later identified as Birgfeld's red Ford Focus in flames in an empty parking lot two miles from her house.[24] In Birgfeld's car and on Highway 50, police found personal items, checks, and business cards from a company named Models Inc.[25] Police looked through Birgfeld's computer and cell phone and discovered Models Inc. was an escort business, which Birgfeld managed.[25] There were also websites with Birgfeld's photo where she was known as a high-priced escort named Carrie.[1][26] Birgfeld was leading a secret double life as an escort.[12] According to Birgfeld's parents, she likely did it to financially support her children and provide for their lifestyle.[12] Biegler, Birgfeld's first husband, stated that she had previously worked as a freelance exotic dancer.[12]
Remove ads
Search and investigation
Summarize
Perspective
The Mesa County Sheriff's Office and the Grand Junction community launched a "massive" search to find Birgfeld.[27] Search parties were dispatched to search the area, and missing person posters were put up for Birgfeld.[27] Many volunteers were involved in the search for Birgfeld, in vehicles, on horseback, and with diving equipment.[27]
Mesa County Sheriff's Office had several suspects, including Birgfeld's ex-husbands, especially Dixon, but both had alibis.[12] At the start of the investigation, authorities focused on Beigler, as he had been with Birgfeld on the day of her disappearance, and they met for a picnic.[18] The sheriffs office also had the names of clients of Models Inc., of which there were more than 60 suspects.[3] In October 2007,[17] Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Rubenstein's team was able to find the main suspect on the list since that suspect used a track phone.
The suspect was Lester Ralph Jones, then 56, a motorhome mechanic who was married at the time.[3][28] Jones initially denied knowing Birgfeld, until officers showed him his call logs, where he had contacted Birgfeld and her escort agency before Birgfeld's disappearance.[29] Jones has a previous criminal record, including a five-year prison sentence for first-degree assault and second-degree attempted kidnapping of his ex-wife.[30][6] Rubenstein said that both he and the police were certain Jones was responsible for Birgfeld's disappearance, but it was difficult to arrest him without her body.[3]
Discovery of body
On March 6, 2012, at 12:30 pm, hikers found skeletal remains in the US Highway 50 area of Wells Gulch in Delta County,[4][31] approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Grand Junction.[4] Police were able to identify the remains as Paige Birgfeld from dental records.[1][31] Rubenstein said, "There were some very key evidentiary things that we located, specifically there was duct tape that was around her skull and mandible, that indicates that she was kidnapped".[3] Prosecutors and police concluded that Birgfeld had been kidnapped and murdered.[3] However, due to the condition of her body, they were unable to determine the cause of death.[32]
Remove ads
Criminal action
In November 2014, Jones was charged with kidnapping, first-degree murder, felony murder, and second-degree murder involving the death of Paige Birgfeld.[6][7][8]
On July 25, 2016, the first trial began. The prosecutors argued that Jones kidnapped and murdered Birgfeld, drove her car down Highway 50, dumped her body in a ravine, and then returned to Grand Junction, where he set her car on fire.[28] Although Jones was initially charged with arson, the charge was later dismissed due to the statute of limitations expiring.[33][28] In September 2016, the first trial against Jones was declared a mistrial because the jury could not agree on a verdict.[33][28]
In the second trial, on December 27, 2016, the jury found Jones guilty of all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[8][3]
He is currently serving his sentence at the Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City, Colorado.[9]
Remove ads
In the media
Television
- 48 Hours S21E16 "The Secret Life of Paige Birgfeld." (2008) – First broadcast in the US on June 10, 2008, prior to the discovery of Birgfeld's body in March 2012 by CBS.[34]
- 48 Hours S27E62 "The Secret Life of Paige Birgfeld." (2015) - First broadcast in the US on September 5, 2015 prior to the trial of Lester Ralph Jones.
- Disappeared S01E2 "A Mother's Secret" (2010) – First broadcast in the US on January 11, 2010, prior to the discovery of her body in March 2012.
- Dateline NBC S23E52 "The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom" (2015) – First broadcast in the US on May 29, 2015.[35]
- Dateline: Secrets Uncovered S9E44 "Double Lives" (2021) – First broadcast in the US on February 12, 2021.
- 20/20 (2021) – ABC News premiered a special episode about the disappearance and murder of Paige Birgfeld in May, 2021.[8][36]
- The Killer in My Family S04E7 "Lester Jones" (2023) – First broadcast in the UK on June 2, 2023, about Lisa Nance, Jones's former wife, describing the abuse she endured during their marriage. Nance testified in the trial.
- World's Most Evil Killers S08E1 "Lester Jones" (2023) – First broadcast in the UK on November 23, 2023.
Remove ads
See also
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads