Inset: Jade Colvin (Iowa Department of Public Safety). Background: James Bachmurski at his trial where he was found guilty of the murder of the 15-year-old (KTTC/YouTube).
A man faces up to half a century behind bars for the murder of a 15-year-old girl last seen on his Iowa farm in 2017.
On Tuesday, a jury found 66-year-old James Bachmurski guilty of second-degree murder in the case of Jade Colvin, whose body has not been found since her disappearance nearly eight years ago.
Jade’s last recorded communication was on March 23, 2017. She was removed from her mother’s care in 2015 and was known for frequently running away from foster placements before relocating to Arizona. There, she disappeared again after connecting with Bachmurski via social media. Bachmurski had previously been involved with Jade’s mother.
Jade eventually found herself at Bachmurski’s farm in Winneshiek County in March 2017, where cellphone reception was non-existent. Shortly after she got there, she talked to a family member using Bachmurski’s phone, which was the last known contact anyone had with her.
A tip steered law enforcement towards Bachmurski, who had relocated to Georgia. Interviews were conducted with him by the Iowa Department of Public Safety in August 2023 and April 2024. During the trial, Special Agent John Turbett provided testimony regarding those interviews, as reported by local NBC outlet KTTC.
Turbett told jurors that Bachmurski didn’t seem all that surprised cops were at his door.
“I’ve just been waiting for law enforcement to come and talk to me,” Bachmurski reportedly said, per Turbett.
Bachmurski confessed that Jade had been at his property. He stated that the last time he saw her, she was doing laundry before heading to a farm store. When questioned as to why he didn’t notify the authorities, Turbett testified that Bachmurski acknowledged knowing it was “illegal or wrong.”
“He says, ‘I know I’m getting myself in super trouble,'” Turbett told the jury.
In the second interview, Bachmurski was not very forthcoming about Jade’s whereabouts.
“You know what? I already, a long time ago, figured I’d go to the grave before I tell the truth,” the defendant reportedly told Turbett.
During closing arguments, Bachmurski’s attorneys said Jade could still be alive today.
“No body, no evidence and no crime,” Defense Attorney Leigha Lattner said, per KTTC.
But prosecutors said all signs point to Bachmurski as the killer.
“She was physically okay until she met James Bachmurski,” said Prosecuting Attorney Scott Brown.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21.
