A man from Colorado was arrested for the unsolved murders of two women from 1982, authorities announced Wednesday.
Alan Lee Phillips of Dumont, Colorado, was charged for the murders of Barbara “Bobbi” Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Kay Schnee, Fox 31 Denver reported. Both women were last seen hitchhiking on Jan. 6, 1982, in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Oberholtzer was 29 at the time of her murder, and Schnee was 21. They both died from a single gunshot wound, according to Fox 31 Denver.
“39 years of hell”: Two families are closer to closure after the arrest of a man in the deaths of two young women near Breckenridge in 1982. https://t.co/jeFJI7hpmu
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) March 3, 2021
Phillips was taken into custody on Feb. 24 and charged with kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, and murder after deliberation, the outlet reported. He is being held without bail at the Park County Jail in Fairplay, Colorado, and has a court date set for Friday.
“I am honored to make this important announcement after nearly 40 years have passed since these murders took place,” McGraw said during a press conference, ABC News reported. “This arrest is the culmination of technology, extraordinary police work and an unwavering commitment to justice for Bobbi Jo, Annette and their families.” (RELATED: Coke Can Turns Out To Be The Key In 40-Year Old Murder Cold Case in Colorado)
Progress on the cold case began last year when investigators used genetic genealogy to discover new information and identify a suspect, according to ABC News. Investigators then spent six weeks conducting surveillance, before arresting Philips during a traffic stop.
Eileen Franklin, 87, the mother of Annette Kay Schnee, remained hopeful the would be solved at some point, Denver ABC 7 reported. “I’ve been waiting,” Franklin said in an interview last summer with the outlet. “But my time is running out.”