Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Deadly Connection’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the primary focus is on the tragic killing of 19-year-old Kenia Monge, whose remains were found months after she went missing from a bar in Denver, Colorado, in the spring of 2011. From the onset of the investigation, the detectives suspected Travis Forbes, who was the last person to see her alive. As they zeroed in on him, they linked him to another crime in Fort Collins a few months later. The documentary features insightful interviews with officials who worked hard to solve the case and bring Travis to justice.
Travis Forbes Weaved a Deceitful Tale About His Interaction With Kenia Monge
Born around 1980, Travis Forbes ran a small business of baking and delivering gluten-free granola bars in Denver, Colorado, in the early 2010s. For its operation, he rented a small space at a local bakery. Business wasn’t always smooth, as he was often in debt and frequently missed deliveries and deadlines to his customers. Having a criminal record for drugs, theft, trespassing, and assault, Travis reportedly spotted 19-year-old Kenia Monge on the street near a bar in the Lower Downtown nightclub district in the early hours of April 1, 2011. According to his confession to detectives, Travis lured her into his white van and raped her while she was unconscious. As per his account, Kenia and Travis got into a physical altercation, after which he strangled her to death.
Investigators determined that after killing her, he stored her remains in a cooler inside the bakery’s freezer, washed off his van with bleach to get rid of the evidence and burned her clothes inside a barrel. The following morning, he took the remains to a secluded area in Weld County and buried them near a clump of cottonwood trees on I-76. To avoid suspicion, he also sent her a text, pretending to check in. The text was read by her stepfather, Tony Lee, who reached out to him. Travis then fabricated a story about what transpired on the fateful night. He claimed he offered to drive Kenia home, but she stopped at a Conoco gas station for cigarettes. The killer claimed that she met another guy there, who said that he would take her home. He repeated the same statements to the authorities and claimed he went to his girlfriend’s place after dropping Kenia off at the gas station.
As suspicions still surrounded Travis, the detectives searched his van and cell phone records, but they found nothing connecting him to Kenia’s disappearance, except the smell of bleach inside his van. In surveillance footage, he was also seen wearing gloves and putting something into the bakery’s freezer. After giving a public interview to a local Denver TV station, he disappeared. Two weeks later, he was accused by his ex-girlfriend of stealing her car. He was arrested in Austin, Texas, after which he was asked about his possible involvement in Kenia’s murder. He decided to ask for a lawyer, but allowed the detectives to take a DNA swab from him. After he was transferred to a Colorado jail, his ex-girlfriend withdrew her complaint and prosecutors dropped the charges, allowing him to be released. He then went to Fort Collins, where he stayed with his father.
Travis Forbes Also Pleaded Guilty to the Attempted Murder Lydia Tillman
In the early hours of July 5, 2011, Travis attacked a 30-year-old woman named Lydia Tillman at her house in the 1200 block of Pomona Street. He reportedly beat her severely and raped her before setting fire to the apartment and fleeing the scene. She jumped out of the window of the burning apartment and managed to survive the attack. Travis was considered a person of interest in the case because the authorities knew that he had been living in the Fort Collins area at the time. While the investigators waited to see if his DNA matched the DNA found under Lydia’s fingernail, they surveilled him and arrested him on July 11, 2011, for false reporting of identity to authorities when he claimed to be Travis Kennedy.
When the DNA evidence matched his DNA, he was charged with a total of 12 counts, including attempted murder, arson, sexual assault, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated motor vehicle theft in connection with Lydia’s assault. In order to avoid being labeled a sex offender, Travis negotiated a plea agreement with prosecutors, which required him to fully confess to his crimes and reveal the location of Kenia’s remains. In September 2011, the killer took the police to the burial site and then admitted to killing Kenia in detail. Later that same day, he confessed to the attempted murder of Lydia.
Travis Forbes is Currently Incarcerated at a Colorado Prison
On September 26, 2011, Travis Forbes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with Kenia Monge’s homicide. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the hearing, he took the stand and stated, “What happened to Kenia was a horrific, horrific crime. I will never have words to express my apology. I was horrible. I was cowardly. I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t plan it. I took a life. I’m so sorry.” Kenia’s mother, Maria Lee, asked God for strength to support her, while Tony Lee addressed him. He said, “He doesn’t have that control over us anymore. It’s always been on his schedule, on his time, on his whim. And now he doesn’t have that control over us anymore. Being a Christian you’re supposed to exercise forgiveness, and I think that’s something I’ll reach down the road, not today.”
Taking the stand, Travis stated, “For the people that knew me, I have to say, remember me please. Remember me as I was, not the monster I became. I’m sorry.” The following day, on September 27, he also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Lydia Tillman. He took the stand and addressed the court, “Why did I do this? I have been searching for that also in my heart and soul. I think we commit violent acts because deep down we find hatred of ourselves. I am so thankful that Lydia Tillman survived because if I hadn’t been caught, I probably would have done this again because deep down I’m f**ked up. I’m evil.”
Lydia decided to forgive her attacker as her statement was read by her father, “You have taken nothing from me. My spirit, my soul and my mind remain untouched. May you find peace in this life.” The following month, on October 21, 2011, Travis was finally sentenced to an additional 48 years in prison for the attempted murder of Lydia. As of today, the 46-year-old killer is serving his two sentences at the Fremont Correctional Facility in Florence, Colorado.
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