Genealogy leads to 81-year-old suspect in 1963 cold case murder near Deckers (BOLO)

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced the suspect in a cold case murder from more than 56 years ago.

April 24,2020

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — During a press conference on Thursday morning, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced the suspect in a cold case murder from more than 56 years ago.

The sheriff's office said an arrest warrant has been issued for James Raymond Taylor, 81, for the murder of Margaret "Peggy" Beck.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that genealogy helped identify a Taylor .

On August 18, 1963, 16-year-old Beck was found unresponsive at the Flying G Ranch near Deckers, Colorado. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Original evidence from the crime scene was used to create a DNA profile in 2007. An updated comprehensive profile was created in June 2019.

Leads from investigative genetic genealogy testing led to the identity of Taylor.

Taylor's whereabouts are unknown, he was last seen in 1976.

If anyone has any information on James Raymond Taylor, they are urged to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office tip line at 303-271-5612 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867); reference case 63-10335.