In the spring of 2019, the life of 21-year-old Amy Elizabeth Shrieves was tragically cut short in a devastating series of events that unfolded in the mountains of Colorado. A resident of Colorado Springs, Shrieves was described by friends as a kind-hearted and sweet person, full of light. Her unexpected death on April 4, 2019, left her loved ones in disbelief and searching for answers.
The circumstances of her death began to come to light when 20-year-old Joshua Alan Thomsen, an
acquaintance of Shrieves, made a chilling 911 call from a Walmart parking lot in Colorado Springs. In the call, he admitted to killing someone and informed the dispatcher that the woman's body was in his car. Police arrived to find Shrieves deceased inside the vehicle.
According to Thomsen's account to investigators, the events leading to Shrieves' death began with text messages in which she allegedly expressed a desire to end her life but felt unable to do it herself, asking for his help. He claimed that they met late at night and drove to a remote campsite near Eleven Mile State Park in Park County. There, Thomsen told police, at her request, he shot her multiple times. Afterward, he placed her body in his car and drove back to Colorado Springs, where he then contacted the authorities. Friends of Shrieves, however, expressed strong disbelief in Thomsen’s version of events, stating that she would not have wanted to harm herself.
Following his confession, Joshua Thomsen was arrested and faced serious charges for his role in Amy Shrieves' death. He was charged with murder, tampering with evidence, and tampering with a deceased body. In January 2020, Thomsen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with a deceased human body. In May 2020, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his crimes, receiving 46 years for the murder charge and an additional four years for tampering with evidence. The resolution of the legal proceedings brought a measure of justice, though it could not erase the profound loss of a young woman's life.
