COLORADO: Officials said Tuesday that two people have been arrested in Colorado in relation to the horrific cold case murder and dismemberment of a California-born lady.
At a news conference Tuesday announcing the charges, Colorado’s Douglas County sheriff, Darren Weekly, stated that the victim, 51-year-old Kimberly Bell, was reported missing by her sister in August 2019. By late July 2019, Bell had ceased attending work and was living with her sister in Franktown, according to coverage from Colorado’s 9News.
“Unfortunately, the investigation revealed very little information or evidence about what truly happened to Kimberly,” Weekly stated. But the detectives persisted, and in 2021 the case was handed up to our cold case squad. It’s unclear when Bell relocated to Colorado from California, but her sister told KTLA in an email that she did so “for a fresh start.”
Martell is accused of chopping the body
The 30-year-old Javier “Alex” Martell and the 38-year-old Jennifer Bremer, who were arrested with Bell, were found in her rental car at a Denver public transportation parking structure on July 22, 2019, according to Douglas County detectives.
The 51-year-old’s body was in the backseat of the car as Bremer and Martell traveled to a Home Depot in Aurora, Colorado, among other places. According to Weekly, “Martell went inside at that time to buy a number of items, including an axe.” According to 9News, Bremer allegedly used Bell’s credit card to fill up the automobile at a petrol station after receiving instructions from Martell.
After that, the two went to a secluded park where Martell is accused of chopping up Bell’s body, placing the pieces in garbage bags, and putting her body parts in the car’s trunk. The sheriff said Bremer and Martell took the body parts to a local veterinary clinic and dumped them in a dumpster.
Kimberly Bell’s remains have never been located as of this writing, according to Weekly. “This case is still pending despite the grand jury indictment.”
The grand jury indictment indicates that Bell’s internet history contained searches such as “take a tracking system out of a ford focus” and “does phone ping location if off,” according to 9News, even though the motive behind the horrific murder is unknown and investigators did not explain why Martell became “enraged” with Bell.
Bremer, who was released on bond, faces charges of identity theft and accessory to a crime, while Martell, who is being held on $10 million bail, is accused of two counts of first-degree murder.