What Did They Find? The Crime Scenes That Haunt Police Decades Later.
My daughter’s missing. Um, I guess she never made us to school this morning. How old your daughter? She’s 10. Okay. What’s your daughter’s name? Jessica Bridgeway. Right away, I want to show you this little girl’s picture. Jessica Ridgeway. She never made it to school. And right away, the school called the little girl’s mother.
The mom works nights, so she didn’t get the message until much later in the day. And that’s what’s bringing us to where we are right now. A massive search taking place right now. Police along with the CBI have issued an Amber Alert. And the reason is this. It’s because of the amount of time that has passed since she was last seen.
Late Wednesday night, police announced a body had been found near a park in the Denver suburb of Arvvada. At this point, they won’t officially confirm it is 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway, but multiple police sources tell ABC News they believe it is the girl’s body. We find ourselves in one of the suburbs of Westminster, Colorado.
A pleasant, well-kept city sitting right between Denver and Boulder. And, you know, often used as a really convenient home base for getting around the region. One of its main natural gems is Stanley Lake, a place known for beautiful sunsets, quiet walks, fishing, and those wide openen views of the Rocky Mountains.
The city is surrounded by greenery and along Big Dry Creek you’ll find long bike and walking paths that stretch on for miles. And when it comes to winding down in the evening, locals usually head to Westminster Prominade with its restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and a relaxed vibe without that overwhelming tourist crowd.
This is the city where Jessica Rididgeway lived together with her mom, her grandmother, and her aunt. She was born to Sarah and Jeremiah. At the time of these events, Jessica was 10 years old and attended fifth grade at Wit Elementary School. Her parents had been separated for quite some time and her father was living in Missouri.
Despite the difficulties around child support and custody, Jessica maintained warm, close relationships with both of her parents. Her teachers described her as an open, smiling child, kind, thoughtful toward others, and always ready to help. She was often the first to raise her hand in class or the one to start a conversation, easily getting to know new people.
She was a dedicated student who genuinely loved learning, you know, not just going through the motions. She loved coming up with her own dances and songs and was especially fond of animals. She also enjoyed watching shows like Victorious and Wizards of Waverly Place. Jessica had this endless energy. She’d jump into anything she tried and wouldn’t stop until she really figured it out.
She was incredibly active and like almost always in a good mood. Her grandmother later recalled that freezing snowcovered morning, Jessica woke up at exactly 7:45. The day before, she had asked her mom to buy her an alarm clock because she wanted to start waking up on her own and, you know, feel more independent.
After getting up, she watched a little TV, grabbed a granola bar, got dressed, and then together with her mom, peeled an orange that she planned to take with her to school. After putting on her warm coat, Jessica said goodbye and headed out on foot. She was supposed to meet her friends along the way at their usual spot in Chelsea Park, which was only about a 5-minute walk from her street and then walked to school together, but she never showed up.
Her friends eventually had to keep going without her so they wouldn’t be late for class. Jessica was never late and never skipped school. She truly loved learning. So when there was still no sign of her by 10:00 in the morning, teachers called Sarah. But Sarah had been working the night shift from 10:00 at night until 7:00 in the morning.
And after walking her daughter to school, she went to sleep and didn’t hear the call. The school left a voicemail which Sarah didn’t listen to until 4:30 that afternoon. This has to be some kind of mistake, she thought. Sarah drove past the park, stopped by the school, and visited several homes where Jessica’s friends lived, but there was no trace of the girl anywhere, and no one had seen her.
After that, she called the Westminster police. My daughter’s missing. Um, I guess she never made it to school this morning. How old’s your daughter? She’s 10. Okay. What’s your daughter’s name? Jessica Bridgeway. And in that exact second, this icy emptiness opens up inside a feeling no parent should ever have to face.
That moment when the realization hits, “Your child has been taken.” According to her, at around 9:15 that evening, investigators concluded they had enough information to treat Jessica’s disappearance as an abduction. And the Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert. By the way, I want to show you this little girl’s picture, Jessica Ridgeway.
She never made it to school. And right away, the school called the little girl’s mother. The mom works nights, so she didn’t get the message until much later in the day. And that’s what’s bringing us to where we are right now. A massive search taking place. Right now, police along with the CBI, have issued an Amber Alert. And the reason is this.
It’s because of the amount of time that has passed since she was last seen. At least 50 police officers, including the FBI, are searching right now. When we start with a an 8 hour delay or a delay as substantial as this, the the distance that she could have wandered even even on her own just gets huge. Police say Jessica’s father, who lives out of state, is in a custody battle with Jessica’s mother.
They do not believe Jessica is with him, but are not ruling anyone out. We don’t have a person of interest, and we’re going to look at every angle. Nothing like this has really ever happened. Like, it’s always surprising when something happens here. So, as you can hear from that interview, this is a very serious situation.
Normally, Jessica meets some friends at a park, which is just about three blocks from her home. Then, the entire group walks to Whit Elementary. The girls that she usually walks with have been interviewed. They did not see her today, but at such a young age, as of 10 years old, they uh they just did not think much of it.
Again, we do want to show the picture of Jessica Rididgeway, 10 years old, 410 in height with shoulder blonde hair. She has blue eyes. She is wearing a winter jacket, I’m told, a black puffy jacket, but with weather like this, it’s still of concern. Again, search is taking place across Westminster. In fact, if you are concerned, you would like to help, you can come here to the Westview Recreation Center.
We’re at the intersection of 108 and uh Oak again in Westminster. Theresa, by that point, night had already fallen and the air was cuttingly cold, so everyone was facing a long, exhausting night of search efforts. Firefighters brought in thermal imaging cameras so they could work in the darkness and they also set up powerful lighting that like flooded Chelsea Park with bright light.
Police also considered bringing in a helicopter equipped with night vision technology, but the temperature was just too low. There was a real risk that ice could form on the rotor blades. We’re using every resource we have. We’re trying to use air or helicopters that have equipment that can search in the dark.
Unfortunately, the weather has grounded those, so we’re not able to use that tool. We’ve brought our fire department in who has equipment that sees in the dark, thermal imaging equipment, so they’re out searching with that. Over 400 faculty and every parent that has a student attending Wit Elementary has received the notification that Jessica is missing.
When the sun comes up, police say they will be bringing in even more people to help search for Jessica. They’re also hoping for a break in the weather so they can get helicopters up to search from the sky. Around two o’clock in the morning, authorities asked volunteers to head home and return to the search.
In the morning, Westminster police set up a command center and brought in volunteer search and rescue organizations. And honestly, there was no shortage of people willing to help. Law enforcement carefully searched residential homes and backyards along with large open areas, creeks, and wooded sections nearby.
They spoke with a massive number of residents and collected around 700 DNA samples. Officers were stationed at crosswalks and every vehicle entering or leaving the area was photographed. Most mailboxes and trees were decorated with ribbons in Jessica’s favorite color, purple. At her desk at school, Jessica’s notebook was found with her homework already completed.
On one of the pages, she had written a message, “Don’t play in the park alone and be careful around strangers.” Jessica was known for being very cautious and always alert. That’s exactly why investigators focused on only two possible scenarios. Either she was lured away by someone she knew and trusted, or she was taken suddenly without any warning at all.
The idea that Jessica might have willingly approached a stranger or started talking to someone unfamiliar seemed highly unlikely. The police department quickly realized they needed more resources, and the FBI joined the investigation along with 12 other agencies. Before long, more than 1,000 people were working through over 4,000 tips.
4 days after her disappearance, the family stepped outside their home for the first time to make a statement to the press. Up until then, they just couldn’t bring themselves to leave the house. Still, they fully cooperated with investigators and provided their DNA samples. And Mike, the FBI mobile evidence response team unit.
They were inside this home much of the afternoon for about 2 hours. They’ve since left, but they first arrived not even 10 minutes after the Ridgeway family left the home. This FBI evidence response team on standby, soon putting on gloves, covering their shoes, then walking in the front door inside, outside, looking for any sign of Jessica.
And this is the first time we are hearing from Jessica’s mother and father. Both deny any involvement in her disappearance. Both are holding out hope. She’s my rock. She she’s I mean she’s all of our rock. A mother. The bright voice of my little girl. She needs to come home. And a father. I try to stay positive about it.
But uh yeah, it’s hard. I just want to find my daughter. I watch her walk out the door and I shut the door and that’s the last time I saw her and I want to come walking through back through that door. After searches by ground and by air, still no sign of the 10-year-old. And the reality of all of this is now very real.
That is not ever, ever anything I want ever any parent to go through. Police immediately ruled out any possible involvement by Jessica’s parents in her disappearance, and the main working theory quickly became an abduction carried out by an outside individual. The following day, a man living about 6 and a half miles away in the Superior area made a discovery without really understanding its true significance at the time.
It was Jessica’s backpack along with her glasses, a water bottle, and a piece of clothing that smelled of urine. But the man didn’t connect the item to the large-scale search happening several miles away. So, he left a message on the Westminster Townless server saying, “If this belongs to you, come pick it up.” Later on, someone finally put the pieces together and called 911.
Sarah would later say that in that exact moment, she felt a spark of hope, this sudden belief that maybe, just maybe, their only child would be found alive and unharmed. Over the weekend, a glimpse of optimism for the family when Jessica’s backpack and water bottle were found in another subdivision 6 miles away. I felt a sliver of hope.
I figured, you know, if something really bad happened to her, they wouldn’t have got rid of the backpack just sitting there. But that hope faded almost instantly when the very next day, another discovery was made. And this one was far more terrifying, the kind of finding that leaves no room for doubt and brings everything to a final devastating end.
Late Wednesday night, police announced a body had been found near a park in the Denver suburb of Arvvada. At this point, they won’t officially confirm it is 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway, but multiple police sources tell ABC News they believe it is the girl’s body. About 6 miles from Jessica’s home, road maintenance workers came across a heavy bag on the side of the road.
They didn’t open it themselves and instead called in a police officer along with a K-9 unit. Inside was a small torso. Forensic testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Jessica, but her body had not been fully recovered, and at that point, the exact cause of death could not be determined. Police also stated that a wooden cross was found at the scene, though they did not publicly clarify its precise location in relation to the remains.
Some sources claimed the cross was found inside the body. Others said it was lying nearby. Despite all of this, investigators called the discovery a critical piece of evidence in the case. Westminster Police Chief Lee Burke said, “Our focus has shifted from searching for Jessica to a mission of justice for Jessica.
We understand that there is a predator at large in our community. Pray for the Ridgeway family that you would comfort them.” Prayer, candle light, and song Saturday night to remember a life taken far too soon. It amazes me that people can be that sick in this world. Hundreds took part in the vigil for Jessica Ridgeway in Westminster.
Heather Fong and her family among them after her son said he wanted to light a candle for Jessica. Feel like it kind of takes their childhood away because you teach them the world is a really good place but then you have to train them now that you can’t talk to strangers. As the community mourns the loss of Jessica, police are stepping up efforts to find her killer.
Saturday, investigators continue trying to develop leads. They’ve been going over sex offender lists and have even been reviewing data from cell phone towers around key locations in the case, hoping if a number registered at all of them, it could help lead to a suspect. I don’t know if he can make sense of it. You know, we just need justice for Jessica though and so all the kids are safe in the neighborhood.
Investigators linked this case to another attack that had happened 4 months earlier on Memorial Day. A woman who was out jogging near K Lake was attacked from behind. A man pressed a cloth soaked in chloroform to her face. She was dragged into the bushes, but somehow she managed to break free and run.
The only thing she could tell police was that the attacker was a white male. Based on her own height, she estimated him to be somewhere between 5′ 6 in and 5’8 in tall with a medium build. What made this especially chilling was that it happened literally just steps away from the spot where Jessica was believed to have been abducted.
DNA found on that woman matched the DNA connected to Jessica’s case. That meant they were dealing with the same attacker. FBI spokesperson Dave Jolie said everyone needed to remain extremely vigilant and soon after that a psychological profile of the suspect was released. This half hour with the Colorado community on edge as police search for 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway’s killer in Jessica Rididgeway’s community of Westminster, Colorado this morning.
There is sadness, anger, and fear. This is horrible. This is absolutely horrible. That a killer is on the loose. I want to stress that we recognize that there is a predator at large in our community. With state, local, and federal agents working Jessica’s murder, police have scoured her neighborhood and the community for clues.
More than 1500 tips have poured in. 500 homes searched. A manhunt underway for a killer still on the street. Former FBI profiler Clint Vanzant. This is a whole another type of predator. Number one, to commit a horrible act to kidnap a child, but number two, to dispose of a body this way puts this guy in a breed almost by himself.
We haven’t identified a an individual. So, we’re talking and and conveying to our community the importance of looking at behavioral changes. Unfortunately, it’s somebody’s family member, a neighbor, a friend. Dozens of worried residents came to Tom Olrich Saturday for crisis counseling. Our behavioral analysis unit wants to convey a message to the community and to the public as a whole.
They’re looking for abnormal behavior, changes in someone’s behavior from Jessica’s disappearance last Friday until today. Uh it could be something as simple as shaving of their face, could be uh changing of hair color, cutting of their h their hair, uh changing their mood, their personality, uh parking a vehicle in their uh garage, and they’ve always parked it in their driveway.
So, we suspect that someone in the community knows this individual, and we’re asking for the community support. Once again, uh the community has been very supportive in the efforts so far to this investigation, and we’re asking that they would do this one more time to help us gather new leads and new information, uh to bring this to a conclusion.
More than 3,000 people gathered for a memorial ceremony in Arvvada, honoring the life and memory of Jessica Rididgeway. Her favorite songs played throughout the event, videos of her were shown, and the entire space was filled with purple, the color she loved most. Among those who came were police officers, volunteers, people who had known Jessica personally, and you know, others who had only learned about her after this tragedy. Everyone showed up.
Those of us involved in this case, unfortunately, never had the privilege of knowing your wonderful daughter, but I can honestly tell you, we feel like we did. We feel like she’s part of our family, and we feel like we’ve lost part of our family. After detectives released images of the cross pendant, one neighbor recognized it almost immediately.
She lived near the Sig family and reached out to the FBI to share her concerns about Austin Sig, a 17-year-old who lived with his mother, Mindy, and wore the same kind of cross. She knew that Austin had an obsessive interest in death and, you know, in the processes of decomposition of both human and animal bodies.
After that, Austin was brought in for an interview during which he provided the FBI with a DNA sample. He told agents that on the day Jessica disappeared, he was at home and asleep. Investigators noticed that the cross he wore looked extremely similar. Still, his explanation seemed to satisfy them at the time they took the samples and continued going doortodoor throughout the neighborhood.
An enormous number of swabs and samples were collected and tested. By procedure, envelopes were mailed back with the names of the people who had submitted DNA. If an envelope came back empty, it meant there was no match to Jessica’s DNA. Austin’s envelope came back empty, and for a while he was taken off the radar.
But on October 22nd, media outlets began widely reporting on the DNA connection between Jessica’s case and the earlier attack on the jogger. That same day, Austin told his classmates that he felt completely drained and really sick. That night, he even slept in his mother’s bed. The next morning, Austin told his mom that there was something he needed to confess.
She immediately asked, “Is this about Jessica?” I just knew, she later said. I can’t explain why, but I just knew. When he confirmed her worst fears, Mindy collapsed to the floor and started crying. Terror, disbelief, and that desperate thought running through her mind. This can’t be real. This can’t be happening, she repeated.
I’m going to prison, Austin said. I know, she replied. You need to call the police. Can you do it for me? He asked. Mindy picked up the phone and called 911. The entire call lasted nearly 18 minutes, so it was later released in a shortened version. Hi, this is Molly with Mr. Police. Can I help you? Hi. Um, I need you to come to my house.
Um, my son wants to turn himself in for the covered way murder. Can you tell me exactly what he said? That he did it and he gave me details and her remains are in my home. Did you see them? No. Is he there with you? Yes. Is he cooperative? Yes. What is your son’s name? Captain Pig. Okay.
I understand that you’re probably, you know, feeling pretty crappy right now, but I want you to know that you did the right thing. He He did it. He just wanted me to call. He He is turning him up in. Okay. Do you think that he’s going to be cooperative with the officer? Absolutely. Okay. Do you think that Austin would talk to me? Will you? Yeah. I hope. Okay.
So, is this Austin? Yes. Hi, Austin. This is Molly at the Westminster Police Department. Hi. Can you tell me a little bit about what’s going on right now or how you’re feeling or or how did this come about? Uh I I I don’t exactly get why you’re asking these questions. I murdered Jessica Richway.
Okay. There is I have proof that I did it. I There is no other question. You just have to send squad car something down here and I will answer all the question that you want to ask or anyone wants to ask of me as soon as you you got to get down here. Okay. Have you committed any crimes like this before? Um yes.
I mean do you have a criminal history of any sort? So the only other thing that I have done that before this was the cat like this incident where the woman got attacked. That was me. Ma’am, um I understand you want to call your I understand you want to call your husband and I’m sorry, but I would like to keep you guys on the phone just until the officers get a little bit closer.
So well, how far are they? Um they’re going to be there in just a few minutes. Is Austin still there with you? Yeah, I won’t lie. Okay. Has Austin been diagnosed with the name’s mental health issues? Does he take counselor or take any medication? He saw a counselor um years ago for um corn. Okay. Can’t breathe.
Take some deep breaths for me. Do you want me to start you an ambulance? No. Are you sure? No, sure. Okay. What just happened? I opened the window. What’s that? Please open the window. Okay. Blue air. Okay. Mindy, take a couple deep breaths for me. Okay. You tell me when the officers get there.
They’re heading through your front door. Okay. I don’t see them. I don’t see them. You don’t see them? No. Is Austin okay with you right now? Yeah, he’s just getting really anxious and so am I. Okay. Yeah, they’re coming up. They’re coming up to the door. Yeah. Okay. Do you see it? Do you see the Franklin losters and their badges? Yeah, they’re here.
Okay, I’ll let you go speak with them. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Bye. So, bye. And just 19 days after Jessica Rididgeway disappeared, Austin Sig was sitting inside a police station, he confessed that he had tried to abduct the female jogger using chloroform he had made himself. The fact that she managed to fight back and escape didn’t stop him.
If anything, it pushed him further. According to him, that failure forced him to rethink his next move. He said he needed a victim who was less protected, someone he could overpower without much effort. When investigators asked what he would have done if the attack on the jogger had been successful, he answered without hesitation.
Most likely, I would have done the same thing to her that I did to Jessica. So, you were you were out, for a better word, hunting? Yeah, that’s the only word I can think of. And did you know Jessica? No. Had you ever seen her before? No. In her final moments, Jessica was in the park playing in the snow. She was shaping snowballs while Austin watched her from a distance.
He had parked his Jeep in a spot where in his mind it wouldn’t draw attention, and he followed her with his eyes as she walked, holding a snowball in her hand. He waited for the moment when she needed to cross the street, then slid down into the back seat so she wouldn’t notice him. When Jessica walked past the jeep, he suddenly jumped out, grabbed her, and forced her inside.
Jessica started screaming, but there was no one nearby. He restrained her movements using plastic zip ties. Later he would say it was a random place, a random time. Everything about it was random. And I think the moment I pulled her into the car, I already knew how it was going to end. Jessica asked him who he was and whether he knew her mom.
According to him, she kept asking questions non-stop. He answered her and lied, telling her everything was going to be okay. You know, trying to calm her down. He drove her to his home and what happened after that is known for certain only to him. He said he carried Jessica into his room, removed the restraints from her hands, and turned on cartoons.
He repeated again and again that she would be going home soon. After that, he forced her to change into different clothes that he gave her himself. He also claimed that he cut her hair. After that, he ordered her to turn her back to him and he took her life. Austin admitted that his actions were driven by powerful internal impulses, but he insisted that he did not commit sexual assault.
He confessed that after Jessica’s death, he tried to conceal the crime using knowledge he claimed to have gained during his studies. Investigators later described his behavior after the killing as extremely cold and completely devoid of emotion. The 17-year-old told law enforcement where the remaining evidence connected to the case could be found, and that’s exactly where it was discovered.
Investigators also determined that some of his attempts to hide the crime had failed, something that was later confirmed through forensic analysis. Jessica was already dead before police began their large-scale search efforts. Several hours into the interrogation, it became clear that Austin’s initial DNA sample had mistakenly never been tested.
The empty envelope with his name on it was the result of a serious procedural error. A repeat analysis was conducted immediately, and the result was unmistakable. His DNA matched the samples found both in the jogger attack and in Jessica’s case. After the jeep, the vehicle he admitted using to abduct Jessica was impounded.
Physical evidence was found inside that supported his confession. The then deputy district attorney, house sergeant, stated that the way Jessica’s personal belongings were left was meant to send a clear message that she was dead. There’s a reason he chose those specific items. He explained everything was intentional. Everything was thought through.
It was also known that Austin had long held an obsessive interest in death and had planned to build his future around it. he was attending a local college and taking courses in mortuary science. He also said that from a very young age, he struggled with serious psychological issues and spent time online consuming violent and disturbing content.
Austin’s parents had divorced several years earlier, but they tried to work together to help their son. In 2008, they sought help from a faith-based counselor. According to that counselor, it didn’t help the internal problems only continued to deepen. Everything just kept getting worse, he said. It built up so slowly that I didn’t even realize how far things had gone.
In 2009, Austin’s doctors strongly urged his father, Robert, to limit and closely monitor his son’s access to television and computers. Well, police in suburban Denver are still removing evidence from the home of a teenage college student in custody for the kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway.
Austin Sig was charged as an adult on 17 counts, including four counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping. Even though he denied committing sexual assault, the volume and nature of the violent material he consumed, along with his documented sadistic history pointed in the opposite direction. Prosecutors added three more charges and ultimately Austin was also charged with sexual assault of a child, robbery, and sexual exploitation of a child after child sexual abuse material was found on his devices. In the case connected to the
attack on the jogger, he was charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault. Courtroom sketches of Austin Sig, the teenager pleading not guilty to killing 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway, even though he admitted it. Well, this could very well be a placeholder plea.
Even though Austin Sig plead not guilty on all counts, he has the option to modify that later, including guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. His father, Robert, said the following in a statement. There really are no words that my family and I can use to express the deep sorrow and pain over the suffering others are going through.
We’re devastated by the reality that my son Austin Sig has been arrested. This horrific event has become a tragedy for both families and for the entire community. I also ask for prayers and support for Austin’s mother, her brave but unbearably painful decision, something no parent should ever have to face. helped move this tragedy toward its resolution.
Mindy, the mother who reported her own son to the police, later admitted that she was constantly haunted by a deep sense of guilt, not because she took part in the crime, but because of the unbearable realization that she was the one who had given life to this child. Sarah, Jessica’s mom, said she truly believed that neither Mindy nor the way Austin was raised was the reason this happened.
I don’t believe the way he was brought up has anything to do with what he did. Mindy remembered Austin as a very beautiful baby, a smart and kind little boy. Coming to terms with who he later became was for her almost impossible. For me, there was no one else, she said. I didn’t know what music other kids listened to.
I didn’t know what shows they watched. He was everything I could have ever dreamed of. One former classmate who had gone to school with Austin since middle school recalled, “There was always something off about him. He was one of those kids with a really high intelligence, but he constantly kept to himself. He talked to himself and felt incredibly awkward around people.
Although Austin was capable, over time he began to fall behind academically. Mindy later learned that he had been bullied because of his voice. Eventually, he dropped out of school and earned a certificate equivalent to a high school diploma. As the years went on, people around him grew more and more cautious. One neighbor, a woman named Emily, shared that her 11-year-old daughter came straight to her as soon as she heard about Jessica’s abduction.
She told me she knew exactly who did it. Emily said, “I’m so sorry that I didn’t take that seriously at the time.” When Emily’s 11-year-old daughter, Alexander, said she knew who had taken Jessica, no one believed her. I feel bad bad that uh I dismissed it. When Emily Alexander’s 11-year-old daughter said she knew who kidnapped Jessica, no one believed her.
She goes, “Mom, oh my god, I know who did it.” And I go, “Who?” And she goes, “The goth teenager from the park at this park just down the road.” She says a teenage boy had been acting strangely, staring at her daughter walking by their home and she pointed him out right across the street from her house. Emily Alexander says her daughter’s friends may have been what saved her.
If she had been at the park alone, there’s no telling, you know, what could have happened. I should have let her know that in the moment she feels uncomfortable, that she should trust that and that, you know, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Austin entered a plea of complete innocence on all charges, both in Jessica’s case and in the attack on the jogger.
Given his detailed confession and the fact that Jessica’s remains were found inside his home, that stance came as a total shock to many people. At the same time, the very idea of a trial, one that would force everyone to relive and listen to every horrifying detail all over again, felt honestly unbearable to a lot of those involved.
Because he was 17 years old at the time of the murder, the death penalty was not an option. Still, if convicted, he was facing life in prison with the possibility of parole only after 40 years. His attorney claimed that Austin’s actions were impulsive in nature and that he was supposedly trying to understand why he had done what he did.
The defense also argued that during her pregnancy, Austin’s mother had inhaled paint fumes and had fallen downstairs and that Austin himself, according to them, was born with a head injury due to the use of a vacuum extractor during delivery. In addition, they pointed out that he had suffered from serious intestinal issues and had undergone three surgical operations.
They also emphasized that Austin grew up in a divorced family and had multiple prior contacts with law enforcement. His father, Robert Sig, had a long criminal history which included mortgage fraud, driving under the influence, assaults, domestic violence, and drug trafficking. Court would be presumptuous and speculative to assume at this early age because of an act by a child that that child would never be appropriate for parole.
Anna Salter, a psychologist who reviewed the police files in this case, said that during her analysis, she found no signs that he had been abused during childhood. She emphasized that despite his parents’ divorce, the family environment remained relatively stable and that he was not deprived of support from his family.
According to her, there was absolutely no trace of empathy in his behavior toward Jessica Rididgeway. This wasn’t a spontaneous act followed by remorse. It was something else entirely. Prosecutors, on the other hand, stated that the nature of his actions clearly pointed to intent and advanced planning. He had deliberately searched for information on how to make homemade chloroform, typed in queries like top 10 places where people are most often abducted.
And all of this was happening alongside his regular consumption of other extreme content, something he openly admitted to during the investigation. founding fathers of this country did not set forth an amendment that says when a young man kidnaps, robs, sexually assaults, and murders, and dismembers a 10-year-old girl that everything other than the murder should be excused.
What we do know is that this young man is dangerous. The only way to protect the community from him is to keep him confined forever. They have never seen an offense like this committed by someone under 18 ever. Not in this county, not in this state, not in this country. Austin was held in a separate specialized unit at the Jefferson County Detention Center, isolated from the adult inmate population.
But almost exactly 1 year after the day Jessica walked out of her home on her way to school and just 2 days before the trial was set to begin, Austin Sig pleaded guilty to 15 charges. Those included first-degree murder, sexual assault of a minor, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and sexual exploitation of a minor. Justice for Jessica delivered today.
It’s been just over a year since 10-year-old Jessica Rididgeway disappeared. Well, today her teenage killer Austin Sig learning he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He got life in prison for the murder charge, plus 86 consecutive years on top of that for the kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery charges.
One of Sig’s attorneys mouths, “Are you okay?” Sig replies, “Yeah, I’m fine.” He was expressionless most of the day. It was truly a reflection of pure evil and and Austin Sig deserves everything he got. For Jessica’s murder, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. On top of that, the judge added another 86 years for the additional crimes.
And while technically, because he was a minor at the time of the murder, there was a possibility of parole, the combined sentence effectively wiped that out, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars. District Attorney Peter Weir made it clear that there were no deals made with the defense in this case. No compromises, he said.
We were not willing to make any concessions for Austin. The judge agreed and added, “This case is literally screaming for a life sentence.” Austin declined to address the court and showed no emotion at all as the sentence was read. So, I’m actually not going to say anything today because I don’t think that the defendant has the right to hear how he affected my me, my family, or who Jessica was.
Once we walk out of this courtroom, we will not remember his name. And we’ll all only remember Jessica and the legacy created legacy she created as well as the lassie project in which she inspired. Thank you. thing. Mindy said she never once regretted calling the police or making the decision to turn in her own son. She threw herself fully into therapy and even though she still thinks about Austin and grieves the boy he used to be, she admitted very honestly.
I haven’t spoken to him since. I can’t, she said. He’s never tried to contact me. And part of why I don’t stay in touch is because I don’t feel like I could hear the truth from him, not about anything. I can’t allow him to lie to me. and I still don’t have an answer to the question of why. I need at least some kind of answer.
When she was asked whether she would want to share a message with the Ridgeway family, Mindy said, “I would give my own life to change what happened. I would trade places with Jessica. Even now, when things are a little less unbearable, I would do it without hesitation if I had the chance.” Jessica’s grandmother later said that every member of their family felt compassion for Mindy.
We understand that she lost her son, too. She said, “It’s a different kind of loss, but she still lost her son. My heart is with her. If we had been allowed to hug her in court, we probably would have. But that didn’t happen. I want her to know this. We think about her often. And this park has just been transformed here.
Everywhere you look, there are hints of Jessica. From the purple that is speckled throughout the park, to this dragonfly teeter totter, which we’re told represents a school project she was particularly fond of that she was working on at the time of her disappearance. The way Jessica’s community continues to honor her short life and keep her memory alive, is honestly incredibly powerful.
It feels like something is always happening there, like the remembrance never really stops. A memorial playground was created, featuring a personalized walkway that stretches 40 ft, engraved knockknock jokes written by her classmates, customdesigned swings decorated with ribbons, all of it done in purple, the color she loved so much.
At the same time, work continued on the Lassie Project, a free service that allows parents and guardians to alert their entire local community within seconds if a child goes missing. The Jessica Rididgeway Cheer Camp was also founded because becoming a cheerleader was what she dreamed of more than anything when she grew up.
She had told her mom that she promised to be the kind of cheerleader who treated everyone with kindness. You know, someone who lifted people up. And then 5 years after losing her daughter, Sarah welcomed another baby girl into the world. Anna, the reminders of her are everywhere. Lots of purple. Her sweet 10-year-old smile.
Her pictures everywhere. Her favorite color. We all still wear purple. Purple’s everywhere in our house. I think she’s makes her presents known. That’s how Sarah Pendelle Rididgeway and her family remember Jessica. We still talk about her. You know, it’s, you know, she still exists for us.
Yes, it’s hard and it’s the hardest thing that anybody could possibly do is to move forward. I need to remember who she was and who I would have hoped she would have become and know that I need to keep moving forward. She was born October 15th. Anna Christine Pendell Ridgeway. Her and her sister share the same middle name and then her eyes are blue.
different blue than Jessica’s, but they’re blue. She loves her hands. They’re her favorite thing in the whole wide world. I think Jessica would be enamored. She’s very much ever present. We talk to Jessica and I think she kind of turns her head. It looks like she’s talking to somebody over in the distance. So, I think her sister definitely comes and visits and leaves her little sparkly way around.
And mom and grandma say they’ll tell Anna all about Jessica’s sparkle as soon as she’s old enough. I’m mostly going to say that, you know, she has a big sister that left before she was born. They want to raise her without fear. I’m going to try not to let what happened overshadow overshadow how I raise Anna cuz I don’t want her to be smothered a little bit.
I want her to be able to have her own little life. It never she’s not replaced. She’s just expanded. you know, she definitely has a extra special angel watching over her. She said she has no doubt that Jessica would have been an amazing big sister, but now she watches over her in a different way.
Jessica’s story is one of the most painful you can imagine. And honestly, it’s the thought of her final moments of childhood innocence that really breaks your heart. her doing what every 10-year-old should be doing, playing in the snow, meeting up with friends, living through another ordinary school day, walking home, ready to tell her family all about it.
And then in a single instant, everything stopped. That purity, that innocence, was taken away forever. The Ridgeway family, like anyone who would find themselves in their place, keeps going one day at a time. Sarah once compared Jessica’s murder to a plate shattering, with one piece lost forever. No matter how hard you try to put it back together, the cracks are always there and it’s never truly the same again.
You can’t put it back together perfectly. She said, “You just can’t.” Thank you to everyone who watched this video. I truly hope this story mattered to you and stayed with you. And if you’d like to support my channel and help me keep creating this kind of content, please like the video, leave a comment, share it, and subscribe.
