A 24-year-old woman is last seen by her family the day before her body is discovered near Rampart Range Road and Loy Gulch Road in Colorado Springs. In the spring of 1990, the life of 24-year-old Jocynda Sue Irwin was tragically cut short, leaving a mystery that has endured for decades in Colorado Springs. A part-time employee at Go Auto Salvage, Jocynda was known to hitchhike as she did not own a car. The day before her death, on April 18, 1990, she spent time with her boyfriend, Melvin Vahsholz, and some family members at a barbecue.
Later that evening, after returning to the apartment she sometimes shared with Vahsholz, Jocynda
decided to go out by herself to a local bar, the Dynasty Lounge. After having several drinks, she left the bar around 1:45 a.m. on April 19 with two men. The trio went to a Waffle House on South 8th Street, staying for about half an hour. The two men later told authorities they dropped Jocynda off at her apartment at approximately 2:15 a.m. and watched to ensure she got inside safely. This was the last time she was reportedly seen alive.
Later that morning, at around 10:00 a.m., Jocynda Irwin's body was discovered on Rampart Range Road in Woodland Park, miles from her home. She was found clothed in Levi's blue jeans, a black flowered blouse, and a light plaid jacket. An autopsy was unable to determine the official manner of her death, though the cause was listed as an overdose. Despite this finding, the circumstances were deemed suspicious, and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office has consistently investigated her death as a homicide.
Decades have passed, but no arrests have ever been made in connection with Jocynda Irwin's death, and no suspects have been publicly named. The case grew cold, leaving her family and the community without answers or a sense of justice. Her death remains an unsolved and haunting local mystery, a story without a final chapter. The investigation into what happened to Jocynda in the early morning hours of April 19, 1990, officially remains open.
