After nearly 50 years, police say they have identified the man who killed 20-year-old John Curtis Patterson, who was found dead at a north Boulder-area gas station in September 1975.

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday there is enough evidence to support that Louis Jess Locicero, 32, murdered Patterson.

Though some aspects of the case remain unconfirmed, there is now significant evidence to indicate Locicero committed the crime, according to a news release. But, officials say, Locicero died in 2024.

“This is why the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spends time investigating cold cases like this, to see if something was missed and to see if, with new technology, new leads can be found,” Detective Don Dillard said in the release. “The sheriff’s office wants the families to know their loved ones have not been forgotten.”

On Sept. 29, 1975, Boulder County deputies were dispatched to a report of a deceased male in the 4500 block of Broadway in the Boulder area, according to the release. Upon arrival, deputies found Patterson, a clerk at the Cascade Service Station, dead in a restroom at the gas station with a fatal stab wound to his chest.

Two unfired .30 caliber cartridges were also found on the floor of the bathroom near Patterson’s body, according to the release. Officials said the cash register was found open and that the cash was missing, indicating that robbery was likely the motive.

The Sheriff’s Office also said the cartridges bore extractor marks and indications of “light hits” on the primers.

The investigation led to Locicero, a suspect with an alleged criminal history, including robbery, burglary, drug and weapon charges, according to the release. The Sheriff’s Office said he was staying at a nearby hotel, in the 4500 block of Broadway in the Boulder area, around the time of the murder.

Officials said key evidence found in Locicero’s motel room pointed to his involvement in the murder, including a .30 caliber M1 carbine firearm, a knife that matched Patterson’s wound and fibers from Patterson’s shirt found on the knife and in the sheath and hairs found on Locicero’s boots.

Detectives interviewed Locicero along with others and ultimately arrested Locicero in 1975, but he was released for unknown reasons prior to charges being filed, according to the release.

“In our jurisdiction, we work very closely with law enforcement to secure justice for victims and our community.” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in the release. “As this investigation by the Sheriff’s (Office) demonstrates, the quest for justice is something we will always pursue. I’m very grateful to the Sheriff’s Office for continuing to investigate this tragic murder and using new technology to provide answers for the victim’s family and our community. Our office reviewed this investigation and with this new evidence we would have been able to file charges in this case.”

According to a letter from the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, Locicero was released three days after his arrest and records do not contain information as to the reason for his release.

Officials said although detectives have followed leads over the decades, they had been unable to develop new leads after reviewing evidence and interviewing potential witnesses — until recently.

Despite previous challenges in definitively connecting Locicero’s firearm to the crime, a breakthrough in the case recently occurred, according to the release. The Sheriff’s Office was evaluating the Ballistics IQ device from Evidence IQ which linked the cartridges found at the murder scene and cartridges found in Locicero’s nearby hotel room to a single firearm — Locicero’s .30 caliber M1 carbine.

Officials said evidentiary items were later sent to Ballistics IQ for evaluation, which ultimately confirmed these findings. This evidence now conclusively links Locicero’s weapon to the crime scene, according to the release.

“I take pride in the work of those in our agency and the reality that our agency is willing to be a champion for technology and its involvement in solving cases, particularly cold cases, bringing closure to those who have had to wait,” Commander Jeff Pelletier said in the release. “I’d also like to thank the team at Evidence IQ for their willingness to be part of closing this case and performing expert analysis in such a timely fashion.”