Shivangi Sinha
Jade Marie Colvin had been reported missing by her family in 2016 from Des Moines, Iowa. At first, she was believed to have run away of her own will, but as the police started tracing her steps, they found that she had contacted her family in March 2017. At the time, she was at a farm near Decorah in Winneshiek County, Iowa. It was only years later that the police were able to piece together evidence that led them to James David Bachmurski, the owner of the farm where Jade had last been seen. In CBS’ ‘48 Hours: Jade Colvin Is Missing,’ the details of the case and the evidence against Bachmurski are shown in great detail.
James David Bachmurski Was in a Relationship With Jade Colvin’s Mother
James David Bachmurski had lived in Iowa and nearby areas for most of his life. It was in 2012 that his first known run-in with the law stemmed from. That year, he pleaded guilty to harassment, assault, and child endangerment. In the criminal complaints from those charges, he admitted that he had physically harmed them as a means of punishment and even admitted that he had tied a teenager to a chair and electrocuted him using a cattle prod. The complaint also stated that he threatened them with their lives and said that no one would know if he killed them. He was sentenced in the case, and by 2018, he was out on probation. However, there was a violation, as he had a firearm despite being a convicted felon.
In 2019, a warrant was issued in his name, ordering him to appear in court, but by then he had moved to Arizona and did not appear. It was only in 2022 that the police connected him to the Jade Colvin case. The 15-year-old had been reported missing by her family in Des Moines, Iowa, in June 2016. She had a history of running away from home and was believed to have left on her own, but she did contact her family on March 30, 2017, from Bachmurski’s phone. That was the last time anyone heard from her. At the time, Jade’s mother, LaDawn Colvin, who had lost custody of her daughter, was in a relationship with Bachmurski and had come to stay with him at his farm in Decorah, Iowa.
James David Bachmurski Told the Detectives He Would Not Tell Them the Truth
The police started piecing together the electronic and phone evidence they had and found that Jade Colvin had spoken to James Bachmurski through chats. In fact, he was the one who paid for her flight from Arizona to Iowa and had asked her to come and stay with him. Since the cellular network on the farm was poor, she had been using his phone to contact people. This raised a red flag, as he had never reported her missing. The police also spoke to Bachmurski’s son, Bryan, who told them that he had seen her suitcase at the farm after she was believed to have left, and it was empty.
It was only in 2023 that the police arrived in Arizona, where Bachmurski was living, and questioned him. He said that after sending a text from his phone, Jade had walked off, and he had no details about her whereabouts. He admitted he was worried about her being missing, but had no answer when questioned about why he had not reported her missing. However, the biggest red flag came when he said, “he’d go to the grave before he told the truth,” which raised alarm for investigators. In 2024, he was interviewed again, but the farm where Jade was last seen had been taken down, and there was no physical evidence that the police were able to find linking him to the case.
James David Bachmurski is Behind Bars in Iowa Today
Prosecutors believed they had enough circumstantial evidence against James David Bachmurski, and in 2024, he was arrested on charges of second-degree murder. His trial began in 2025, during which all phone records, the timeline of Jade’s communication with him, and his own statements to police were presented as evidence. In September 2025, he was found guilty of second-degree murder, and the following month, in October 2025, he was sentenced to 50 years behind bars. He has not revealed any information about the case, and his attorneys have filed an application for a new trial. He is now 67 years old and is being held at Anamosa State Penitentiary in Anamosa, Iowa. He will be eligible for parole in 2059, and his tentative discharge date is 2067.
Read More: Jade Marie Colvin Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
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