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Left: Derek Bollwinkel (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Linda Baran (Dignity Memorial).
An Arizona man with a history of scamming people was arrested after his criminal tendencies allegedly became violent.
Derek Bollwinkel, whose age remains unreported, was detained on June 2 following extradition from Salt Lake City, Utah. Court records shared by KPHO, a CBS affiliate, reveal that Bollwinkel fled Arizona after allegedly murdering his former neighbor, 82-year-old Linda Baran, in February. Authorities stated that Baran was discovered shot to death in her vehicle on Feb. 11, with evidence suggesting she was killed with her hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
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As outlined in court documents, Bollwinkel used to live next to Baran until his eviction three weeks before her demise. Investigators mentioned Baran was last seen alive on Feb. 9, and Bollwinkel had been reportedly “insistently requesting money” from her. Witnesses saw his van parked close to her property on the day of her murder.
KPNX, an NBC affiliate, reported that Baran’s body was found following a welfare check requested by her family. When officers reached the scene, they found her in the back seat of her car, which was parked in the garage. Court reports acquired by the station indicated Baran had a lethal gunshot wound on her left side, with authorities concluding her hands were raised in a “surrender” motion at the time she was shot.
A neighbor saw Bollwinkel pull up at about 6:15 p.m. — he was then reportedly seen running away from the home and back to his van at about 7 p.m. He then drove away. Police said that cellphone data put Bollwinkel at the scene.
According to the court documents, Bollwinkel was then caught using Baran’s debit card at an ATM about 20 minutes after the alleged murder. He allegedly attempted to withdraw $10,000. He successfully withdrew $4,000.
According to KPHO, police did not provide details about how Bollwinkel was tracked down in Salt Lake City. The suspect was arrested when he arrived at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on $1 million cash bond. He was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Bollwinkle was previously sued for consumer fraud in connection with a housing scam he conducted along with his wife. He was later convicted and served prison time for forgery and criminal impersonation.
