KARA NANCY NICHOLS: State of Colorado vs Joel Hollendorfer for murder/manslaughter *GUILTY*

Kara Nancy Nichols

Nichols, circa 2012;
Missing Since: 10/09/2012
Missing From: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Classification: Endangered Missing
Sex: Female
Race: White
Date of Birth: 05/20/1993 (26)
Age: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 115 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A hooded sweatshirt, dark-colored jeans, white DC sneakers and hot pink ear gauges.
Medical Conditions: Nichols may suffer from bipolar disorder and/or borderline personality disorder.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair, green eyes. Nicholas a tattoo of a small marijuana leaf on her right ankle, and tattoos of small spacemen on both wrists. Photos of her wrist tattoos are posted with this case summary. She has gauged ears. Her back is pierced, her navel is pierced and she has a piercing between her upper lip and her nose on the right side of her mouth.

Details of Disappearance
Nichols was last seen in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 9, 2012. She left her home in the 6700 block of Mission Road, en route to Denver, Colorado with two unidentified brunette women, but it's unclear whether she ever arrived there. The last call on her cellular phone was placed at 11:45 p.m. She has never been heard from again.

Nichols is described as a very social person who maintained regular contact with family and friends and frequently used social media; all this contact stopped the night of her disappearance. She also left behind her purse, identification, money, clothes, makeup and other belongings.

Her mother stated Nichols's behavior changed considerably when she was a teenager: she was arrested for shoplifting at age thirteen, started using heroin, and ran away from home at sixteen. Her parents tried to get her psychiatric help and counseling, but Nichols resisted taking the medication prescribed for her.

She enrolled in several different alternative schools, eventually graduating from Life Skills of Colorado Springs. After graduation, she took a waitressing job and began modeling. She continued to use drugs, however, even after she moved with her parents to Chicago, Illinois. She enrolled in a drug treatment program, but was discharged for failure to follow the rules.

Nichols eventually returned to Colorado Springs on her own and lived with roommates. She traveled frequently to Denver to look for modeling work and had placed a profile on the online modeling website Model Mayhem before she vanished. She was having financial problems and authorities believe she had been involved in prostitution for up to two years before she disappeared.

Nichols's case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.

Investigating Agency
El Paso County Sheriff's Office 719-390-5555
Source Information
Facebook Page for Kara Nichols
NamUs
KRDO
ABC News
The Daily Mail
7 News
The Denver Post

Kara Nancy Nichols – The Charley Project

edited by staff to add media link

KARA NANCY NICHOLS has been missing from Colorado Springs, #COLORADO since 9 Oct 2012 - Age 19

She left her home in the 6700 block of Mission Road, en route to Denver, Colorado with two unidentified brunette women, but it's unclear whether she ever arrived there. The last call on her cellular phone was placed at 11:45 p.m. She has never...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols murder case: Coroner testifies regarding Nichols' cause of death

The El Paso County coroner on Tuesday afternoon delivered his findings in the death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, whom Joel Hollendorfer, 47, is accused of killing over a decade ago.

gazette.com

Kara Nichols murder case: Coroner testifies regarding Nichols' cause of death​

The El Paso County coroner on Tuesday afternoon delivered his findings in the death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols, whom Joel Hollendorfer, 47, is accused of killing over a decade ago.

"Asphyxiation due to strangulation," Dr. Leon Kelly, the El Paso County coroner, told prosecutors after being asked about Nichols' cause of death.

Prosecutors have alleged throughout the trial, which began last week, that Hollendorfer strangled Nichols after paying her to have sex with him, and afterward buried her body at his parent's farm.

The testimony of Kelly, in part, confirmed the prosecution's allegations against Hollendorfer, stating that his autopsy ruled Nichols' death a homicide via strangulation.

Another bolster to the prosecution case came from Kelly claiming it was unlikely that Nichols' death could have been caused by heroin alone, despite Kelly testifying that she was high on heroin at the time of her death, citing results of her toxicology report. This, according to Kelly, is due to Nichols being a frequent heroin user, meaning her tolerance was likely higher than someone who had never used the drug.

"There was far more evidence that drugs were not the cause of death (for Nichols)," Kelly told the jury.

Kelly, however, was unable to dismiss the defense's claim that Nichols died because of heroin use, either entirely by overdose or due to her being choked and unable to begin breathing again due to being high on heroin.

When asked by defense attorney Jennifer Cox whether Kelly could rule out the possibility that Nichols overdosed on heroin, he stated he could not, because of a variety of circumstances. Those included that Nichols may have accidentally taken more heroin than usual or that her tolerance had changed before her death.

Kelly also was unable to rule out the defense theory that Hollendorfer strangled Nichols as they were having sex, and that the heroin made it so that Nichols was unable to begin breathing again. Kelly explained that while heroin doesn't affect the time it would take for someone to pass out from choking, which could be as quickly as five seconds, the heroin could affect that person's ability to begin breathing on their own after passing out.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I guess I wasn't aware manslaughter was on the table. But he's guilty.

Jury finds Colorado Springs man guilty of manslaughter in death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols | KRDO

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - An El Paso County jury found the Colorado Springs man accused of killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols guilty of manslaughter. Joel Hollendorfer was originally charged with second-degree murder before the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office upgraded his charge to...

krdo.com

Jury finds Colorado Springs man guilty of manslaughter in death of 19-year-old Kara Nichols​

An El Paso County jury found the Colorado Springs man accused of killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols guilty of manslaughter.

Joel Hollendorfer was originally charged with second-degree murder before the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office upgraded his charge to first-degree murder in February 2022.

Hollendorfer's defense claimed their client should've only been found guilty of tampering with evidence, claiming Nichols' death was an accident.

His conviction was handed down Thursday after the jury deliberated for a few hours. Hollendorfer will be sentenced at a later date.

Nichols' family is set to hold a press conference to discuss the verdict.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Family of Kara Nichols stunned by manslaughter verdict in her death, family speaks following trial

The case against Joel Hollendorfer, accused of murdering 19-year-old Kara Nichols almost ten years ago, went to the jury on Thursday. Hollendorfer was found guilty of manslaughter.

www.koaa.com

By: Maggie Bryan
Posted at 4:07 PM, Jun 22, 2023
and last updated 1:54 AM, Jun 23, 2023
EL PASO COUNTY — The case against Joel Hollendorfer, accused of murdering 19-year-old Kara Nichols almost ten years ago, went to the jury on Thursday.

A jury found Joel Hollendorfer guilty of manslaughter Thursday afternoon after being charged with first-degree murder after the deliberation process of the trial.

Under Colorado law manslaughter carries a two-to-six-year prison sentence.

​

<snip>


Paul and Juliet Nichols, Kara's parents, said they were devastated by the verdict in a news conference Thursday night. They said they were expecting the jury to convict Hollendorfer of first-degree murder.

"He is a cold-blooded killer," said Paul Nichols. "We are devastated at this verdict. Absolutely devastated. Dumbfounded. We do not understand it."

"We are so beyond disappointed in this judicial system. He will be out on the streets most likely and all I can say is that's a tragedy for Colorado Springs," said Juliet Nichols.

Autumn Hopfe, Kara's friend, said this is not the verdict that Kara deserved.

"Joel is a murderer and it should not be described as anything else. Cut and dry. He is a murderer. He took someone's life, he had the intent to do it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Two to six years? Way to go Colorado. Another case with a serious lack ofk justice.

Not entirely familiar with this case sadly. Was he jailed during the time it took to trial because if he was, that will be credit too towards timed served.

You strangled, you killed, you lied, you hid a body. All deserving of a SERIOUS sentence and conviction on serious charges.

I don't find the thought it was a sex thing and he strangled her and then let go but she couldn't resume breathing because of heroin use a reasonable doubt. I think what is reasonable is he strangled her and killed her and there was never a chance to breathe again. I suppose next in some case what will be used is IF she hadn't been high on heroin, she could have fought back harder and got his hands off her neck...

Unbelievable. At least this prey on hookers monster is guilty of something. But I ams sure the family is devastated. Light sentences in murders have that effect on victims' families and they have a devastating effect as well on our crime rate and further murders that could have been prevented had justice been served.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

‘Justice for Kara Nichols’ remembrance ceremony held in Black Forest

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — It’s been over a decade since 19-year-old Kara Nichols was reported missing and about one month after her accused murderer was found guilty of manslaughter. Community mem…

www.fox21news.com

‘Justice for Kara Nichols’ remembrance ceremony held in Black Forest​

It’s been over a decade since 19-year-old Kara Nichols was reported missing and about one month after her accused murderer was found guilty of manslaughter. Community members and friends say they held a vigil to honor her name and spread awareness about the injustice of her killer’s sentence.


With a first-degree murder charge, Hollendorfer would’ve faced a life sentence in prison. With the manslaughter charge, Hollendorfer faces a much lesser sentence of two to six years. People now want to spread awareness that Hollendorfer could be out of jail within the next six months since he has already served a year and a half.

“The world needs to know that Joel is a murderer and… when it comes down to it, we are not getting justice and this person’s going to be back on the streets,” said Hopfe.

Hollendorfer’s habitual offender hearing is set for July 24th, where there will be more clarity on what potential sentence he will face.

 

[Mel70]

This is some serious BULLS****!!!! Accidentally huh. They all claim that if they can. It's ridiculous. But then wraps her up in several construction bags, Several layers of duct tape, Digs down 3-4 feet on top of an old horse grave on his mother's farm. It has been stated she probably knew. So heroin. Call 911. There is a shot they give right to the chest that restarts the heart that works for heroin. And heroin only. When she stopped breathing, Did you attempt CPR?. There might have been evidence if it was attempted. It was no accident. Covered it up. 10 YEARS!!!! AND THIS IS THE CHARGE AND SENTENCE?!!!! WTF?!!!!! THIS IS NOT JUSTICE!!!! Her poor family is the people that will feel absolutely NO JUSTICE!!!! He's going to serve less time than she's been dead?! How can this be justified?!!! I read 2nd degree murder. When did it become manslaughter?!! IMO 2nd degree. Manslaughter NOTHIN'!!!!

 

[Mel70]

Two to six years? Way to go Colorado. Another case with a serious lack ofk justice.

Not entirely familiar with this case sadly. Was he jailed during the time it took to trial because if he was, that will be credit too towards timed served.

You strangled, you killed, you lied, you hid a body. All deserving of a SERIOUS sentence and conviction on serious charges.

I don't find the thought it was a sex thing and he strangled her and then let go but she couldn't resume breathing because of heroin use a reasonable doubt. I think what is reasonable is he strangled her and killed her and there was never a chance to breathe again. I suppose next in some case what will be used is IF she hadn't been high on heroin, she could have fought back harder and got his hands off her neck...

Unbelievable. At least this prey on hookers monster is guilty of something. But I ams sure the family is devastated. Light sentences in murders have that effect on victims' families and they have a devastating effect as well on our crime rate and further murders that could have been prevented had justice been served.

Yep. It was definitely partially her fault. Yeah. She asked for it. Shouldn't have been doing what she did and high. That gives someone the right since they paid. They owned them for a time and the right to do anything they want. I'VE HEARD THAT!!!!

 

[Mel70]

Two to six years? Way to go Colorado. Another case with a serious lack ofk justice.

Not entirely familiar with this case sadly. Was he jailed during the time it took to trial because if he was, that will be credit too towards timed served.

You strangled, you killed, you lied, you hid a body. All deserving of a SERIOUS sentence and conviction on serious charges.

I don't find the thought it was a sex thing and he strangled her and then let go but she couldn't resume breathing because of heroin use a reasonable doubt. I think what is reasonable is he strangled her and killed her and there was never a chance to breathe again. I suppose next in some case what will be used is IF she hadn't been high on heroin, she could have fought back harder and got his hands off her neck...

Unbelievable. At least this prey on hookers monster is guilty of something. But I ams sure the family is devastated. Light sentences in murders have that effect on victims' families and they have a devastating effect as well on our crime rate and further murders that could have been prevented had justice been served.

It absolutely does NOT matter a sex worker or not. I'm glad the attitudes of society have changed towards sex workers. Of course there always will be people who will think they are trash. They are PEOPLE!!!! Police in some areas, Still in the 70's. If they found a dead "Prostitute" or "Hooker", They said at the time. They wrote on the report "NHI" "No human involved". So little or nothing was done to try to identify, Much less solve their murder.

 

[GrandmaBear]

This is some serious BULLS****!!!! Accidentally huh. They all claim that if they can. It's ridiculous. But then wraps her up in several construction bags, Several layers of duct tape, Digs down 3-4 feet on top of an old horse grave on his mother's farm. It has been stated she probably knew. So heroin. Call 911. There is a shot they give right to the chest that restarts the heart that works for heroin. And heroin only. When she stopped breathing, Did you attempt CPR?. There might have been evidence if it was attempted. It was no accident. Covered it up. 10 YEARS!!!! AND THIS IS THE CHARGE AND SENTENCE?!!!! WTF?!!!!! THIS IS NOT JUSTICE!!!! Her poor family is the people that will feel absolutely NO JUSTICE!!!! He's going to serve less time than she's been dead?! How can this be justified?!!! I read 2nd degree murder. When did it become manslaughter?!! IMO 2nd degree. Manslaughter NOTHIN'!!!!

I entirely agree. Oh the poor guy. I think for one covering up a death especially IF YOUR HANDS WERE IN IT, an desecrating, moving, hiding or burying a body should be a FAR MORE SEVERE sentence. Ya know even if ya lost it, or were drunk or high or didn't mean to when you GO TO COVER IT UP you generally KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHY.

This is a JOKE of a sentence. Of course we had 2nd degree conviction (close to first but for reasons I think) and we got six years. And he's already where he can have family picnics etc. and was in not too long of time.

I don't know when even the public in some of these cases I think and even in watching them got numb to murder. It used to SHOCK the he77 out of anyone. It's like letting people out, I guess people hear it so much it is just oh, so what...

I'm not going to go down without saying it. And more people should. So many of us sit silent to get along or it doesn't affect us and look what happens. I do it too. Or don't make a mountain out of a molehill but I won't on something as big as what is going on with criminals, sentencing, etc. AND LETTING THEM OUT IF they ever got a sentence to begin with. What case was it recently, where the guy should have been in jail or prison 100 times over (slight exaggeration) where I've yelled about them making it look good now finding every law and charge they can because they KNOW how outraged SOME are.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Judge considers enhanced sentence for man convicted of manslaughter in death of Kara Nichols

Joel Hollendorfer could face a mandatory 24 years in prison with the sentence enhancement, instead of two to six years.

www.koaa.com

Judge considers enhanced sentence for man convicted of manslaughter in death of Kara Nichols​

On Monday an El Paso County Judge found that Joel Hollendorfer, the man convicted of manslaughter in the death of Kara Nichols, could face an enhanced sentence.

During the habitual criminal hearing lasting nearly four hours, a judge found that Hollendorfer was guilty of four habitual crimes that can act as sentence enhancers to the original two to four-year sentence he is facing.

The judge considered four felony charges that Hollendorfer was convicted of in the late 90s, including theft and attempted burglary. He could face a mandatory 24 years in prison with the sentence enhancement.

Court records show Hollendorfer was also convicted of harassment and protection order violations in 2012 and 2013. Those convictions, however, cannot be considered for enhancing his sentence because they were misdemeanors.

Kara's family and friends said this is a step forward in the fight for justice after they were expecting a jury to hand him a first-degree murder conviction last month. Kara's friend, Autumn Hopfe, said Hollendorfer's previous charges should paint a picture of the kind of person he is.

"It basically is very clear that Joel is a violent person who doesn't care about other people, and he doesn't care about who they are," she said. "It's important to remember her as a person for who she is, who she was, and what kind of life she could have had."

Paul Nichols, Kara's father, sent News5 this statement after Monday's hearing:

"It's terribly difficult to have to listen to these proceedings when it's so clear to us that a man who could strangle our daughter and bury her body so methodically in his mother's backyard, hiding her for 10 years, is guilty of murder. We are glad the judge found substantial evidence that this perpetrator is a habitual criminal. We hope that Judge Bain imposes the maximum sentence for this heinous crime."

 

[GrandmaBear]

Good for the judge.

Our legal system has turned into a serious joke in what is starting to seem like the majority of cases.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kara Nichols case: Hollendorfer to be sentenced to 24 years in prison

Joel Hollendorfer, convicted of manslaughter for killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols in 2012, will be sentenced to 24 years in prison next week after an El Paso County judge ruled his

gazette.com

Kara Nichols case: Hollendorfer to be sentenced to 24 years in prison​

Joel Hollendorfer, convicted of manslaughter for killing 19-year-old Kara Nichols in 2012, will be sentenced to 24 years in prison next week after an El Paso County judge ruled his prior convictions would increase his sentence.


Earlier this year Hollendorfer was found guilty of manslaughter, a significant downgrade from an initial charge of first-degree murder, and initially faced up to six years in prison. However, at a hearing last month Judge William Bain ruled that Hollendorfer's prior convictions could quadruple his sentence.

Hollendorfer's attorney, Jennifer Cox, argued to Judge Bain on Wednesday that her client should not be considered a habitual criminal because all four previous convictions for Hollendorfer were in the 1990s, when he was between the age of 18 and 20 years old. None were violent offenses and some of his previous convictions would be considered misdemeanors now.


In his ruling, Bain said he had one goal: to determine if Hollendorfer's potential sentencing as a habitual offender would be "grossly disproportionate" to the convicted charge, something he said is "very rare" for any court to find.

Bain said that taking into consideration that Hollendorfer would likely be eligible for parole around halfway into his sentence, 24 years in the Department of Corrections would not be grossly disproportionate to the charge of manslaughter.

"I find this crime to be grave and serious," Bain said during his ruling. "I do not find that (Hollendorfer) spending one year for each year Kara Nichols was buried is not grossly disproportionate."

Hollendorfer will return to Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 for his sentencing hearing.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Parents of Kara Nichols say trial a 'miscarriage of justice' after killer sentenced to 24 years in prison

Earlier this year, Joel Hollendorfer was found guilty of manslaughter for killing Nichols, 19, and burying her body in the backyard of his family's property, where it wouldn't be discovered for nearly a decade. Hollendorfer was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday as Nichols' family and...

gazette.com

Parents of Kara Nichols say trial a 'miscarriage of justice' after killer sentenced to 24 years in prison​

Hollendorfer was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday as Nichols' family and friends packed an El Paso County courtroom not only to speak about their loss, but to honor her memory.

"Kara was destined for greatness," Nichols' friend Autumn Hopfe told the court. "She made everyone feel included, and she was beautiful both inside and out."

"Knowing Kara was an honor and a privilege. She was the most vibrant person I have ever known," said Erin Wyrick, another friend of Nichols. "Beauty and kindness radiated off her. ... She saw the good in people."

Nearly 10 people gave impact statements to the court on Thursday, and nearly all talked about the lively and ambitious person Nichols was before she was killed by Hollendorfer, using words like empathetic, kind and compassionate to describe Nichols.

Kara Nichols' mother, Julia Nichols, did not attend the sentencing hearing but spoke with The Gazette afterward about her daughter, and the memories she has of her 11 years after her death.

"She was a creative, funny, feisty young woman," Julia Nichols said. "She was really social, the kind of person who always rooted for the underdog even at the expense of sometimes being a little too rebellious."

Julia Nichols said her daughter had big dreams, and that she one day hoped to work in a creative field, because she was someone who loved art, music and fashion.

​

While Thursday's hearing brought with it celebrations of who Kara Nichols was, it also brought condemnation of the perceived lack of justice she received through the investigation and Hollendorfer's trial.

Hollendorfer's defense attorneys argued at trial that Kara Nichols' death was an accident, caused in large part by Kara Nichols' heroin use, with the defense claiming that Kara Nichols died either of a heroin overdose or due to her being choked during sex, and becoming unable to resume breathing because of being high on heroin.

Nichols' family was very vocal on Thursday in their disagreement with those claims.

Paul Nichols, Kara Nichols' father, described the trial and verdict as a "miscarriage of justice."

"My 19-year-old daughter was murdered. ... I believe Joel Hollendorfer is guilty of murder in the first degree," Paul Nichols said. "I do not believe our daughter was accidently strangled to death. That is an affront to common sense."

Paul Nichols wasn't the only person to express displeasure with Hollendorfer's manslaughter conviction. Kara Nichols' brother, Terry Nichols, raised many of the same frustrations as others in court had previously.

"This trial was a miscarriage of justice characterized by victim blaming," Terry Nichols said. "This was a relentless campaign of slander and defamation of my sister. If the jury was working with all the facts, I have no doubt they would have returned a guilty verdict of murder in the first degree."

Many who spoke in court on Thursday expressed their displeasure with the 24-year prison sentence Hollendorfer was set to receive, saying they would fight to ensure that he served every day of his sentence.

Even a current and a former detective for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, both of whom worked on the Nichols' case, gave statements to the court, a highly unusual occurrence.

"I've never seen anyone with such a lack of remorse," former El Paso County Detective Tammy Gouiat said of Hollendorfer. "Shame on you, and shame on your family for hiding all your secrets."


Hollendorfer declined to make a statement to the court on Thursday on the advice of his attorney.