In a breakthrough development, the Westminster Police Department in Colorado has finally solved the murder of 20-year-old Teree Becker, bringing closure to a case that had remained unsolved for nearly five decades. Becker was last seen on December 4, 1975, as she hitchhiked to visit her boyfriend at the Adams County Jail in Brighton, Colorado.

Becker's body was discovered the following morning, dumped in a field with her personal belongings. Investigators determined that she had been raped and asphyxiated, unleashing a long and arduous investigation into her tragic death.

Over the years, the cold case was reviewed on multiple occasions. In 2003, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation extracted male DNA from a piece of evidence, but unfortunately, it failed to match any profiles in the nationwide Combined DNA Index System.

In 2013, a significant breakthrough occurred when the Las Vegas Police Department submitted a DNA profile to the same database, which matched the one generated in 2003. Astonishingly, this profile was linked to a 1991 cold case in Las Vegas involving a woman who had also been raped and murdered. The investigations from both departments concluded that the same suspect was responsible for both crimes, even though they did not have a suspect at the time.

In 2018, the Colorado DNA profile was deemed suitable for genetic genealogy, a technique that compares DNA samples to identify potential relatives. This approach led detectives to Thomas Martin Elliott, but unfortunately, he was already deceased. In October of an undisclosed year, Las Vegas Metro Police Department obtained permission to exhume Elliott's body. A Westminster Police Department detective was present during the process. Following the collection and analysis of his bones, Elliott was identified as a match to the unknown DNA profile, effectively solving the Teree Becker cold case.

"We are thrilled we were able to solve this cold case and hopefully bring closure to the friends and family of Teree Becker," expressed the Westminster Police Department in a statement.

During their investigation, detectives discovered that Elliott had a criminal history that included a burglary committed shortly before Becker's murder. He served six years in prison for the burglary before being released in Las Vegas in 1981. In a chilling sequence of events, Elliott went on to commit a crime against a child, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence. Following his release in 1991, he committed the murder that ultimately led to the Las Vegas DNA profile.

Tragically, Elliott died by suicide in October 1991 and was buried in Nevada. Nevertheless, his identification as the perpetrator offers some solace to the family and friends of Teree Becker, who have waited nearly half a century for justice.

The Westminster Police Department has stated that there are still nine remaining cold cases in the area that will continue to be actively investigated.