October 15th 2024.
A shocking announcement was made on Tuesday by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office: 51-year-old Kimberly Bell, who had been missing since 2019, was found to have been strangled and dismembered. Her body was disposed of at a veterinary clinic in Estes Park. The Sheriff, Darren Weekly, spoke at a press conference, revealing that Bell's sister reported her missing in August 2019. It took years of investigation for enough evidence to be gathered for a grand jury indictment in her death.
Javier "Alex" Martell, 30, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder after the indictment was issued on Thursday, as per court records. Jennifer Lynn Bremer, 38, was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to the crime and identity theft, both of which are felonies. Bell was last seen in July 2019, and her case was handed over to the sheriff's cold case team in 2021, according to Weekly.
Investigators believe that Bell was in her car with Martell and Bremer when an argument broke out on July 22, 2019. Martell became enraged and strangled Bell, dragging her from the driver's seat to the back seat. He then continued to strangle her, while Bremer switched from the front passenger seat to the driver's seat and drove away. It is unclear how the three knew each other.
After stopping at several locations in the Denver area, including purchasing an ax at a Home Depot in Aurora, the pair drove to a remote location near Estes Park. It is alleged that Martell dismembered Bell's body and disposed of it in trash bags, which were then thrown into dumpsters at a nearby veterinary clinic. Bell's remains have never been found, according to Weekly.
This case is particularly significant for the sheriff's office as it is the first time they have had to pursue a case without the victim's body. This was the main reason for the case being presented to a grand jury, according to Weekly. The amount of investigative work that went into this case was extensive.
Bell's family is struggling to come to terms with the news of her death, which comes five years after her disappearance. Martell is being held on a $10 million cash-only bail and is scheduled to appear in court on November 15th. Bremer has been released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and is set to appear in court on December 16th. For the latest crime news, sign up to receive daily updates straight to your inbox.
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