Case Description
File Number: 77-02842
The Victim: Maria Honzell, age fourteen, was found murdered on February 7th, 1977 at a residence where she was baby sitting. She had suffered multiple stab wounds.
The Crime: At 11:20 p.m. a caller, the woman who had hired Maria to baby sit her two primary school aged sons at the Suncrest Apartments off of North Nevada, notified the Colorado Springs Police Dept that she'd found Maria dead of stab wounds on the floor of the caller's bedroom. She also said she'd spoken with Maria between 8:30 and 9:00 that evening but didn't arrive home until 11:15 when she found Maria Honzell, wearing a blue jumpsuit, on the floor of the master bedroom.
The caller's eldest son told police he had gone to bed around 8 p.m. but something awoke him that caused him to go into the hallway. He observed a male holding the victim's mouth. He heard yelling and screaming, specifically "stop it." He said the male and Maria then went into his mother's bedroom.
Her son described the white male as approximately 17 years of age, six feet tall, with acne and wearing a blue "fluffy" down coat, blue jeans and black sneakers.
The Investigation: Various individuals, including Maria's friends, were interviewed at the time and to date the case is still under review. It is hoped that now, thirty-three years later, modern technology will produce new leads.
