Body of woman missing for 4 years found at her home, Colorado cops say. Son arrested
The body of a missing 82-year-old woman was discovered at her home nearly four years after she disappeared in Colorado, police said.
Police arrested her son in connection with the killing, the Grand Junction Police Department said in a June 8 news release.
Family members reported Sylvia Frens, of Grand Junction, missing in May 2018, police said.
Her son, Richard Vandervelde, lived with her and began using her debit card from February to June 2018, police said.
Vandervelde is accused of taking his mother’s car and $10,000 from her bank account, police said.
Police stopped the man in June 2018 in Colombia, Missouri, for a traffic violation. He lied about his identity and was taken into custody, according to the release.
He told authorities his mother went to California with a friend in April of that year and he did not know when she would come back, police said.
He also said she gave him permission to use her debit card.
Police then searched the woman’s property in March 2022 and found her remains. An autopsy revealed she suffered from injuries consistent blunt force trauma.
Vandervelde was arrested on multiple charges:
- First-degree murder
- Tampering with a deceased human body
- Crimes against an at-risk adult
- Fraud-identity theft
- Theft
- Motor vehicle theft
- Abuse of a corpse
Grand Junction is about 243 miles southwest of Denver.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Body of woman missing for 4 years found at her home, Colorado cops say. Son arrested."
