Two people have been arrested in Colorado in connection with the brutal cold case murder and dismemberment of a woman born and raised in California, officials confirmed Tuesday. The victim, Kimberly Bell, 51, was reported missing by her sister in August 2019, according to Darren Weekly, sheriff of Douglas County in Colorado, who announced the arrests at a news conference on Tuesday.
According to 9News in Colorado, Bell stayed with her sister in Franktown and ceased showing up for work in late July 2019. “Unfortunately, there was not much information or evidence in the inquiry as to what happened to Kimberly,” according to Weekly News. “Detectives did not give up, and the case was turned over to our cold case team in 2021.”
It is unknown when Bell moved from California to Colorado, but her sister told KTLA in an email that she did so “for a fresh start.” Douglas County detectives have determined that on July 22, 2019, two suspects, 30-year-old Javier “Alex” Martell and 38-year-old Jennifer Bremer, who were known with Bell, were in her rental vehicle in a Denver public transportation parking structure.
According to Weekly, Martell, who was in the vehicle’s backseat, became upset at Bell, who was in the driver’s seat, grabbed her by the neck, and pulled her into the backseat. “Martell then told Bremer, who was in the passenger seat, to get in the driver’s seat and begin to drive, as Martell choked Bell,” the arresting officer claimed. “[He] continued to choke Bell until she was dead.” Bremer and Martell drove to numerous locations, including a Home Depot in Aurora, Colorado, while carrying the 51-year-old’s body in the backseat. “At that time, Martell went inside to purchase several items, including an axe,” the newspaper reported.
According to Weekly, Martell, who was in the vehicle’s backseat, became upset at Bell, who was in the driver’s seat, grabbed her by the neck, and pulled her into the backseat. “Martell then told Bremer, who was in the passenger seat, to get in the driver’s seat and begin to drive, as Martell choked Bell,” the arresting officer claimed. “[He] continued to choke Bell until she was dead.”
Bremer and Martell drove to numerous locations, including a Home Depot in Aurora, Colorado, while carrying the 51-year-old’s body in the backseat. “At that time, Martell went inside to purchase several items, including an axe,” the newspaper reported. Martell, who is being jailed on $10 million bail, faces two counts of first-degree murder, while Bremer, who has been released on bond, faces charges of accessory to a crime and identity theft. Colorado authorities are seeking anyone with knowledge regarding this investigation or who may have known Bell, Martell, or Bremer in 2019 to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at 303-660-7528.
