DNA evidence has led to the arrest of a Nebraska man for the 2007 murder of a Colorado mother of two.
Darrell Burklund, 72, was arrested last week in York, Nebraska, and charged with the April 6, 2007, murder of Jessica Bajarano in Frederick, Colorado, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said. Bajarano was found in the bathroom of her home with a single stab wound to the chest.
At the time, authorities found her then-4-year-old daughter and then-2-year-old son in the home.
Investigators looked at multiple suspects at the time, including Bajarano’s husband, who was ultimately cleared when detectives determined he was at work when his wife was murdered.
DNA evidence led to Burkland, who was a maintenance worker at the time. He was arrested after investigators interviewed him in Nebraska and is now awaiting an extradition hearing this week.
“This arrest is the culmination of years of tireless work by our investigators for the unwavering pursuit of justice for Jessica Bejarano and her family,” said CBI Director Chris Schaefer, who was one of the original CBI agents assigned to this case in 2007. “I want to remind the victims’ families to never give up hope. No matter how old or complicated these cases are, our cold case team is dedicated to resolving the most difficult cases no matter how long it takes.”
Cece Merrow, Bajarano’s mother, said thanked investigators for the work on the case.
“Chris Schaefer, who was on Jessica’s case from day one, made a promise that he would not retire until Jessica’s case was solved. He has kept his promise, ” said Merrow. “There were so many twists and turns in her case, but we always had faith in the CBI.”
