FREMONT COUNTY — A Cañon City family wants answers, almost three years after 74-year-old Loa Kennedy was found dead at her home off of Chinook Drive.
Her death was ruled a homicide by the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.
One of her children, Gary Kennedy, said he and his mother grew closer as the two aged. "She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was one of the nicest people anybody could ever meet... I never really did tell her I loved her and stuff, but I do," said Gary.
Gary also showed News5 his mother's death certificate, which states her cause of death is "homicidal violence to include chop force injuries and decapitation, with perimortem animal predation." Gary said that means animals attacked his mother before, during, and after her death.
The certificate says she died on June 24, 2018. Gary's wife, Cindy, said Loa allowed people to stay on her property, including other family members. Cindy questioned the efficacy of the start of the investigation by the Fremont County Sheriff's Office. "They were letting people off the property that to me, they should have been investigating, they should have been talking to, they should have been searching... They didn't treat it as a murder, they treated it as an animal attack. Because the people up there told them that's what it was," said Cindy.
News5 reached out to the Fremont County Sheriff, who sent a statement.
This is still an active investigation with my office. We are working with several entities and cold case specialists to try to achieve a resolution. Because this is still active I can’t respond with more information.
Gary said he knows the pandemic has delayed some efforts by investigators, but is tired of waiting on justice in his mother's case. "Been calling and wanting answers, and wanting answers, and then we never get them... Sooner or later, justice will be done. It still hurts, because it's never going to heal. And nobody's going to get any peace or justice until somebody is brought to trial," said Gary.
Both Gary and Cindy said it has been difficult to reach investigators frequently.
News5 reached out to the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI), which said this case is not considered cold yet, by their standards.
The family has a $3,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
If you have any information, you can call the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at (719)276-5509.
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