On Thursday, the family of Zaria Hardee received news they’ve been waiting on for more than 6 months; Boulder police arrested Jimmy West on suspicion of killing the 19-year-old who was found dead and wrapped up on a bike trailer in July.

West, 52, who is facing one count of first-degree murder was arrested Thursday after a search warrant was signed Thursday morning, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a press conference announcing the arrest. West’s booking photo was not immediately available.

Hardee was found dead on July 14, wrapped in multiple layers of blankets, a tent and motorcycle cover on a bike trailer near the 800 block of Goss Street in Boulder. Police said Thursday that her body had been badly decomposing when it was found, and she was believed to be dead for several days.

Maggots and flies were found near Hardee, and she was tied to the bike trailer, according to a police affidavit from the case. Through video surveillance and interviews with witnesses, police determined that Hardee was taken to a site where West stayed near 1631 17th St. in Boulder — about 500 feet from where she was later found dead. In the affidavit, police interviewed her boyfriend at the time of the offense who admitted “to selling” Hardee to West in trade for drugs.

An alibi led police to believe the boyfriend had not been involved in the murder.

Police wrote that West admitted that the trailer she was found on was his but lied about the last time he’d seen her and that his bike trailer was stolen, according to the affidavit. Colorado Bureau of Investigation testing ruled that tape that covered Hardee’s mouth had the same microscopic evidence as tape found in West’s campsite. The lab testing also found that West’s DNA was on the tent that Hardee was found wrapped in.

The Boulder County Coroner’s Office later determined that Hardee had been repeatedly struck in the head, and a blow to the head was what killed her. Probable asphyxia was also listed as part of the cause of death, according to the affidavit.

Police said during the initial investigation that they did not believe that there was any threat to the greater public and that the incident seemed to have happened between two people who knew one another. Police said Thursday that Hardee and West knew one another, and were both unhoused at the time.

‘Now healing can begin’

Boulder Police Detective Commander Brannon Winn said more in a press conference Thursday about why the investigation took more than 6 months before an arrest was made.

“This has been a challenging case from the start, both because of the nature of physical evidence and the efforts involved in finding unhoused members of our community that she spent time with,” Winn said. “Our detectives were undeterred and continued to investigate every available lead and interview everyone who might have had information that could be connected to this crime.”

Following the announcement, Hardee’s mother, Annastacia Saavedra wrote via text, “I’m thankful that the suspect is in custody. Myself and my family are relieved, and now the healing can begin.”

On Jan. 14, before the arrest was made, Hardee’s family said they felt disappointed with the slow progression of the investigation and feared that a murderer was still walking around.

“I’m mad. I’m mad at the process. I’m mad at the lack of information. I’m mad at the lack of transparency,” Karma Haar, Hardee’s grandmother, said on Jan. 14. “I feel like we’ve been put on the back burner, and (lack of) evidence has been used as an excuse as to why. The scary part is, there’s someone out there who killed my granddaughter and is still walking free and could do it at any given time again.”

Saavedra said that Hardee’s aunt, who lives in Westminster, stopped working as a rideshare driver due to fear of coming in contact with the person who killed Hardee.

During the press conference, Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn explained that Hardee was found badly decomposed and detectives worked diligently to trace her steps and find who she interacted with prior to her death.

“To the initial responding officers, to our criminalists, to our advocates, and especially the detectives that worked this case, they ensured that a suspect was identified but also ensured that a strong case was put together that ultimately led to the charges that got us here today,” Redfearn said. “Each one of these groups demonstrated exceptional commitment and compassion for Zaria throughout this investigation and I commend all of them.”

Dougherty said what is most important to him is the communication the Boulder Police Department had with the family throughout the process. He said that sometimes details, like the autopsy report, are protected in an effort to protect the integrity of the investigation.

“I was not directly involved in it so I’m speculating in part, but when there’s a pending investigation, we always want to make sure we guard the details very closely so as not to alert any suspect or any witnesses involved to the underlying circumstances,” Dougherty said.

Haar said on Jan. 14 that she believed if the victim had been a college student there would have been an arrest earlier. She said she felt like Hardee’s homelessness led law enforcement to not prioritize her case. Law enforcement officers disputed the accusation Thursday.

“(The Boulder Police Department) worked relentlessly on this case as they should, as you would expect, as we would hope, regardless of where Zaria was living at the time, who Zaria had been last seen with, what Zaria’s financial standing was,” Dougherty said.

“That sounds obvious, but I do want to highlight for members of our community that the Boulder Police Department and the district attorney’s office bring that approach in their relentless search for justice anytime there’s a murder, regardless of the victim’s standing in our community.”

‘I look back, and my daughter is stuck in 2024’

Since her death, Saavedra said the family struggled with their grief through Hardee’s birthday, which was Sept. 25, and through the holiday season.

“I’ve noticed in the last six months, I’ve let myself go emotionally,” Saavedra said on the six-month anniversary of her daughter being found. “I became numb.

With everything going on, even though I feel stuck, and my family feels stuck, moving forward is even more complicated. The New Year’s was hard because my whole family got to move forward into the new year and I look back and my daughter is stuck in 2024.”

On. Jan. 16, Saavedra met with representatives from local law enforcement working on the case. Following the meeting, Saavedra wrote via text that the meeting made her feel more relieved after it was made clear to her how complicated the investigation was. However, on Jan. 28, she said she still felt worried for how much longer it would be until the arrest.

“By the end of February now, they’re hoping to have the arrest,” Saavedra said Tuesday. “But I’ve heard this almost every other month for six months. So I’m not happy about everything that is trailing.”

On Jan. 14, Boulder police spokeswoman Dionne Waugh wrote that she and the detective on the case, Scott Byars, were unable to comment on the open and active investigation and declined a request to speak more generally about the process of death and murder investigations.

‘It is entirely unacceptable that this young girl lived and ultimately died on our streets’

Saavedra said the family had a memorial for Hardee in August. In addition, Michele Rodriguez, who does peer support in the Boulder area, knew of Hardee and participated in a memorial service last December that honored current and former unhoused people in Boulder who had passed away, including Hardee.

Rodriguez declined to comment about Hardee due to the ongoing investigation.

“Zaria should be here today,” Redfearn said during the conference. “She should not have been living on the streets of Boulder and should not have been victimized and ultimately murdered on our streets. This case exposed the tragic reality that we, as a society, must do better. It is entirely unacceptable that this young girl lived and ultimately died on our streets.

We must do better. We must have better resources, treatment, and intervention options so our most vulnerable are not able to be victimized.”

Saavedra said she plans to attend all court proceedings in person despite currently living in Wyoming.

“I’m not scared. I’m just hoping I can keep my emotions under control and say what I need to say,” Saavedra said. “I’m trying to mentally prepare myself, for sure.”

‘I always left my door open for her’

Despite being shy and quiet, Hardee, often called “Z” by family, is remembered for the kindness and compassion that made her a magnet for friendship and joy.

The eldest of seven, Hardee grew up in the Denver metro area, was a passionate swimmer and loved cooking and the outdoors.

She moved to the Boulder area from Casper, Wyo., when she turned 18, and in the months prior to her death stopped responding to family members who reached out, according to Saavedra.

“A lot of people have reached out to me and told me she wanted to come home, that she knew where I lived,” Saavedra said on Jan. 14. “So every night I would leave my door open, unlocked for her. Just in case she showed up randomly out of the blue. I always left my door open for her. I always had my phone next to me just to wait for her to call and say, ‘Hey mom, come get me.’”

A GoFundMe has been set up by Haar to help fund the costs of travel to Boulder for the court proceedings.

“She was very much loved by her family,” Dougherty said Friday. “I hope today’s arrest and charges of first-degree murder answer some of the questions they have about what ended Zaria’s life far too soon. I promise them, and I promise you, that our office will do everything we can to secure justice for Zaria, her family and our community.”

Boulder police wrote in a release that the investigation remains ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the Boulder Police Tipline 303-441-1974 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 reference case no. 24-6910. Police wrote that tipsters can remain anonymous and are eligible to earn a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.