[Weld County, Colo.] The Weld County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) is seeking information on a 1973 cold case involving then 15-year-old Roxanne Leadbeater from Redondo Beach, California.
Roxanne’s remains were found in Weld County, Colorado on November 19, 1973. Her cause and manner of death and how she ended up in Colorado remain unknown. Roxanne’s death investigation has remained open due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding it.
Roxanne’s remains were unidentified when she was discovered back in 1973. She was known to WCSO detectives as, “Jane Doe 1973”. In April of 2022, her remains were exhumed, from the Linn Grove Cemetery in Greeley, Colorado and usable DNA was collected and sent off to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for identification through forensic genealogy.
On December 3, 2024, 51 years later, Roxanne was identified through forensic genealogy by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Identifying Roxanne marked a breakthrough in the investigation, but significant work remains before the WCSO can solve its oldest cold case.
Detectives have released a photo of Roxanne during the time she attended Will Roger’s Junior High from 1970 to 1971 in the hopes classmates, friends, neighbors, or acquaintances will come forward with any information about Roxanne’s life prior to her death.
WCSO urges anyone who had any sort of relationship with Roxanne or her family to come forward immediately, as these critical details could finally bring answers to her case:
- Prior to her death, Roxanne lived int the 4100 block of West 163rd Street in Lawndale, California.
- Roxanne attended Lawndale High School until 9th grade from 1971 to 1972.
- Roxanne’s only known relatives—distant cousins—weren’t close to her but believe she went missing around 1972 at age 15, likely from the Redondo Beach area.
- Six Los Angeles-area law enforcement agencies found no record of Roxanne being reported missing or as a runaway.
- According to Roxanne’s cousins, she had no known ties to Colorado, and they were not sure if she was kidnapped or ran away.
- Roxanne’s Mother, Joan Kobayashi is deceased. She lived on the Hawaiian island of Maui prior to her death.
- Roxanne’s Father was John Leadbeater, and he is deceased. His last address was in the 2500 block of 190th Street in Redondo Beach, California.
- Roxanne’s Brother, Bryant Leadbeater, died in Torrance, California in Sept. of 1984.
If you have any information about Roxanne Leadbeater, or the circumstances surrounding her death, please contact Cold Case Detective, Byron Kastilahn at (970) 400-2827 or email him at bkastilahn@weld.gov You can also call the Weld County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (970) 304-6464 or email your tip to Crimetips@weld.gov. ###