There are moments in every investigation when a single phone call changes everything.

For one family in Colorado, that call came on a cool October morning in 2022.

On October 15, 2022, deputies with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a body along East 38th Avenue near Strasburg, a quiet rural area east of Denver. When they arrived, they discovered 26 year old Alaina Martinez. She had been shot and left along the roadside.

The scene was heartbreaking.

Someone had taken the life of a young woman and left her alone, hoping the empty stretch of road would keep the truth hidden.

Instead, it became the beginning of an investigation that continues today.

According to investigators, Alaina’s death was ruled a homicide, and detectives immediately began working to determine where she had spent her final hours, who she had been with, and what events led to her death. Despite extensive investigative efforts, no arrests have been announced, and the case remains unsolved. [1]

More Than a Name in a Case File

Whenever I write about a cold case, I try to remember that the victim was much more than the way they died.

Alaina was a daughter.

She was a family member.

She was someone who had people expecting to see her again.

One of the hardest parts about writing these stories is realizing that while the public may remember the investigation, her loved ones remember birthdays, holidays, and ordinary moments that now carry an empty space where Alaina should still be.

For investigators, this is another homicide.

For her family, it is a wound that never fully heals.

The Investigation

Investigators with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office have released only limited details about the circumstances surrounding Alaina’s death. That is not unusual in homicide investigations. Detectives often withhold information that only the person responsible would know. Those undisclosed details can become powerful investigative tools if someone confesses or if witnesses eventually come forward.

Authorities have continued asking the public for information, believing someone may know where Alaina was before she was killed or who she may have been with during her final hours. Every anniversary serves as another reminder that the person responsible has never been brought to justice. [1][2]

One thing I have learned studying criminal justice is that many cold cases are not solved because investigators suddenly discover brand new evidence.

They are solved because someone finally talks.

Sometimes fear fades.

Sometimes relationships end.

Sometimes guilt becomes impossible to carry.

A single conversation can completely change an investigation that has been stalled for years.

The Road Where She Was Found

The location where Alaina was discovered raises difficult questions.

Remote roadways are often selected because offenders believe they will delay discovery or reduce the chance of witnesses. Rural areas can provide darkness, limited traffic, and fewer surveillance cameras than urban neighborhoods.

But locations also tell investigators something about the offender.

Every decision made after a homicide reflects a choice.

The choice of where to leave a victim.

The choice of how quickly to leave.

The choice of whether to conceal evidence or simply abandon the scene.

Those choices often become just as important as the forensic evidence itself.

My Thoughts as a Criminal Justice Major

Everything in this section reflects my personal opinions based on publicly available information. These theories are opinions only and should not be interpreted as fact.

Theory One

I believe investigators should continue focusing on Alaina’s final known movements. Reconstructing the last twenty four to forty eight hours of a victim’s life often reveals overlooked connections. Modern digital forensics can analyze location history, messaging applications, cloud backups, and electronic transactions with far greater precision than was possible only a few years ago.

Theory Two

The rural location makes me wonder whether the person responsible was already familiar with the area. Remote roads are not usually selected by chance. Someone who regularly traveled through eastern Adams County for work, recreation, or other reasons may have known the area well enough to believe they could avoid detection.

Theory Three

Another possibility is that the homicide occurred somewhere entirely different from where Alaina was found. In many investigations, the location where a victim is discovered is simply a disposal site rather than the actual crime scene. If that is true here, investigators would need to identify where forensic evidence may have been left behind before her body was transported.

Theory Four

I also think someone may have noticed unusual behavior shortly after Alaina’s death without realizing its significance. A vehicle that was suddenly cleaned. A person who became unexpectedly nervous. Someone who changed routines or distanced themselves from friends. Small behavioral changes often become meaningful when viewed years later.

Theory Five

Finally, I believe this case may eventually depend on someone choosing to tell the truth. Cold cases are often solved because loyalty changes over time. The person protecting a secret today may not feel the same years later. History has shown that one witness can completely transform an investigation.

Why Alaina’s Story Still Matters

Alaina Martinez was only twenty six years old.

She deserved the opportunity to continue building her life.

Instead, her family has been left searching for answers while the person responsible remains unidentified.

Every unsolved homicide represents more than an open investigation.

It represents parents waiting for justice.

Friends wondering why.

Loved ones carrying grief that never fully disappears.

Someone knows exactly what happened to Alaina Martinez.

Until that person comes forward, her story deserves to be remembered and shared.

Justice should never depend on the passage of time.

References

1. Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Cold Case and Homicide Investigation updates regarding Alaina Martinez.
2. Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Colorado Cold Case Database. https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/
3. KDVR Fox 31 Denver. Coverage of the Adams County homicide investigation involving Alaina Martinez.
4. Denver7. Anniversary coverage and appeals for information from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
5. CBS Colorado. Local reporting on the discovery of Alaina Martinez and the continuing homicide investigation.