New Podcast Reignites Interest in Unsold Colorado Murder Case
A Colorado cold case that has confounded investigators for over a decade is back in the spotlight, thanks to a new podcast hosted by the homicide division.
Chelsea Yasser, just 21, was tragically killed in an Aurora parking lot shortly before 10 p.m. on May 15, 2016. This gruesome event happened just weeks after she had relocated from Arizona.
Aurora Police were called to the scene after reports of a woman found dead in a Burlington coat factory parking lot.
Officers arrived to find Yasser with numerous stab wounds. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, she was pronounced dead shortly after.
Although the horrific incident was captured on surveillance video, it barely made headlines at the time.
According to Joe Moylan, the Aurora Police Department’s public information officer, “If I hadn’t picked up the paper, if I hadn’t watched the news that day, I might not have known anything about this incident.” This highlights the somewhat muted response to an event that should have garnered more attention.
Nevertheless, cameras caught a maroon van dragging Yasser away during the attack, which Detective Jason McDonald noted, adds a layer of complexity since the footage quality has severely hampered the investigation’s progress.
“Chelsea was stabbed multiple times inside her minivan,” McDonald explained. “She managed to exit the vehicle but, tragically, succumbed to her injuries just outside the store.”
Following Yasser’s murder, the investigation faced several hurdles. A lack of evidence meant months passed without resolution.
“It’s been 10 years. We have some more investigative leads that we’re following up on,” McDonald said, adding that they are now working with DNA evidence and looking to connect with the podcast community for help.
The department recently decided to focus on Yasser’s story for their inaugural podcast, aptly named “Moby Dick: The Chelsea Yasser Story.”
Moylan emphasizes the urgency: “There’s a window of about 30 minutes where we don’t know what happened, so that’s a pretty tight timeline. I think someone knows who this person is.”
The first episode of this five-part series released recently, delving into the details surrounding Yasser’s murder and the investigation that followed. Authorities hope this will provide new insights and leads.
“Our major crimes unit has a little more flexibility to tell these stories in detail,” Moylan said, “to identify the suspect and those involved on that day.”
Additionally, the podcast aims to humanize Yasser rather than simply presenting her as a statistic. “We didn’t want her to be a number. She was a real person with family and friends who loved her,” Moylan added. “She deserves justice, and her family needs peace.”
This effort is part of a broader national trend where police departments are utilizing new media platforms to draw attention to unsolved cases.
“This is pretty innovative for us,” Moylan noted. “We’ve previously collaborated with podcast and documentary companies to solve cases. We’re eager to find that last piece to resolve this.”
McDonald added that the podcasting process is intertwined with the investigation. “There’s a massive audience out there that could help,” he pointed out.
Both Moylan and McDonald are hopeful that the podcast will engage listeners and lead to new developments in Yasser’s case, allowing them to make strides towards justice.
“We’ll do everything we can to move this case forward,” McDonald expressed. “This podcast is just one of the strategies we’re deploying, and we’re excited about the potential it has for positive outcomes.”
