Who murdered Catrina Renee Powell in October of 2004? In the crisp autumn air of October 25, 2004, a grim discovery was made behind a strip mall in Westminster, Colorado. The body of 26-year-old Catrina Rene Powell, a female, was found lying near a dumpster. The scene was one of stark brutality; an autopsy would later reveal that she had died from blunt force injuries, and in a particularly disturbing act, her hands had been severed.
For nearly seven weeks, the identity of the young woman remained a mystery to investigators.
A breakthrough came when a family member saw a police sketch broadcast during a news report and recognized Catrina, leading to her formal identification. This allowed investigators to begin piecing together the final days of her life. It was learned that just days before her death, on October 22, 2004, Catrina had been arrested by the Denver Police Department. She was last seen alive in the early morning hours of October 24, 2004, in the vicinity of Colfax Avenue and Ogden Street in Denver. At the time, she was believed to be living on the streets and was known to carry a dark-colored backpack.
Despite the passage of time, the murder of Catrina Powell remains an open and haunting cold case for the Westminster Police Department. No arrests have ever been made, and no definitive suspects have been publicly named in connection with her violent death. The case has, however, drawn the attention of those investigating the crimes of serial killer Scott Kimball, who has been considered a person of interest. Kimball has denied any involvement in her murder. The investigation into who is responsible for the death of Catrina Powell continues, with law enforcement still seeking information from the public that might finally bring a resolution to this long-unsolved homicide.
