Texas man arrested in connection to woman's body found along I-25 near Larkspur
DENVER (KDVR) — A man from Austin, Texas, was arrested as a person of interest in a case connected to a woman's body found along Interstate 25 on June 15.
The woman, later identified as 65-year-old Brenda Jackson, also of Austin, Texas, was found near southbound I-25 about a half mile north of the Larkspur exit. A public information officer for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office told FOX31 at the time that her cause of death did "not appear to be natural causes."
"The coroner will be the one to determine the cause of death. At this point, we would characterize it as suspicious," the public information officer said.
The agency also shared images of bedding that was found along with Jackson's body in hopes of identifying her.
Her cause and manner of death have still not been announced.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Austin Police Department coordinated to arrest a person of interest connected to the body. Daniel Strong Jr., 73, of Austin, Texas, was taken into custody in Travis County, Texas, and now faces charges of tampering with a deceased human body.
“This arrest is the result of tireless work by our detectives and support teams,” said Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly in the sheriff's office announcement on Thursday. “We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the community members who came forward. Those who called in tips and submitted video footage were absolutely critical in helping us move this case forward.”
Law enforcement asked for anyone in Austin, Texas, New Mexico or Colorado to report information that may help investigators. They especially want to learn more about:
- Jackson and Strong's whereabouts and interactions in the weeks before May 24
- Sightings and interactions with the individual
- Surveillance footage or eyewitness accounts from either state that may be relevant
Police also identified a vehicle they believe was used in the crime. It is described as a dark gray Honda Odyssey van with a Texas handicap license plate of 1SGSC. The agency included photos of the vehicle.
Detectives are still working to trace the victim's and the suspect's movements leading up to the incident, and are urging anyone in the Austin area or Colorado who may have seen or interacted with Jackson or Strong, or who has surveillance footage or other information related to their activities, to come forward.
“We are asking the community to help us fill in the gaps,” Weekly said in a release. “Even small details can make a big difference in a case like this.”
Information should be sent to Detective Lewin at llewin@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7563, or to Detective Talmon at mtalmon@dcsheriff.net or by phone at 303-660-7185.