In the late summer of 2003, the life of 27-year-old Jason Reichardt of Aurora, a community near Denver, Colorado, was tragically cut short. On September 8th, he was found in his home, having been fatally shot. The investigation into his death would soon unravel a series of horrific crimes committed by someone he considered a friend.
The man responsible for Jason's death was his co-worker, Richard Paul White.
The two had worked together at a printing company, and it was Jason who had helped White get the job there. The motive behind the killing appeared to be a desperate and violent attempt to steal Jason's truck. According to White's sister, who later cooperated with the police, her brother had confessed to the shooting, claiming the gun had discharged accidentally during the theft.
Following his arrest just two days after the murder at a makeshift campsite in the Pike National Forest, Richard Paul White's confession went far beyond the killing of his friend. In a chilling admission to investigators, he claimed responsibility for the deaths of five women. This confession led authorities to a gruesome discovery in the backyard of a Park Hill home where White had previously lived. There, they unearthed the remains of two women. White alleged that he had buried other victims in different locations across Colorado.
In September 2004, to avoid a potential death penalty, Richard Paul White pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Jason Reichardt. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for this crime. In separate proceedings, he also pleaded guilty to the murders of the two women whose bodies were recovered, receiving additional life sentences. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to assist investigators in locating the bodies of his other professed victims.
