In the late winter of 1970, the life of a young mother of two, Betty Lee Jones, came to a brutal and tragic end. A 23-year-old white woman, she had been married for just nine days to Robert Ray Jones, and their brief time together was described as tumultuous. The couple lived in Denver, and on the afternoon of March 8, 1970, following a heated argument, her husband left their residence. In distress, Betty Lee ran out into the street and flagged down a passing blue sedan. She was seen getting into the vehicle, which then drove away. This would be the last time she was seen alive.
The following morning, March 9, 1970, her body was discovered by highway workers, discarded down an embankment off Highway 128 in Boulder County. The scene told a horrific story: she had been bound, sexually assaulted, strangled, and shot multiple times. An investigation was launched, and several individuals, including her husband, were considered persons of interest. However, with limited evidence, the case grew cold, leaving her family with unanswered questions and a grief that would span decades. Her two children were raised by their grandparents, with only faint memories of the warm and loving mother they had lost.
For years, the case remained dormant. In 2006, investigators reopened the file, and a male DNA profile was developed from evidence collected from Betty Lee's body. The profile was run through the national DNA database, but no matches were found. The investigation once again hit a dead end. However, with advancements in forensic technology, a new avenue opened. In 2019, the suspect's DNA was sent to a private lab that specialized in genetic genealogy. This cutting-edge technique allowed investigators to build a family tree connected to the unknown DNA sample.
Through meticulous genealogical research, investigators narrowed their focus to a man named Paul Leroy Martin. They discovered that Martin had died in 2019. To confirm their suspicions, authorities obtained a court order to exhume his body from Fort Logan National Cemetery in April 2020. A DNA sample was taken from his remains, and it was a definitive match to the DNA found on Betty Lee Jones more than fifty years earlier. Investigators also learned from Martin's brother that he had owned a blue Plymouth Fury sedan in the 1970s, consistent with the vehicle Betty Lee was last seen entering. No known connection between Martin and Betty Lee was ever established, leading investigators to believe it was a crime of opportunity. Though no arrest could be made, the identification of Paul Leroy Martin finally brought an answer to the long-unsolved murder of Betty Lee Jones.
