In October 2012, Jessica Ridgeway left her home to go to school in Westminster, Colorado. It was a routine the fifth grader followed regularly, but on that day, she never made it to her destination. By the afternoon, her family had informed law enforcement, and what followed was a massive search effort. It was only after a DNA match linked the case to another criminal investigation, along with a crucial phone call, that the perpetrator was identified and arrested. ID’s ‘On the Case With Paula Zahn: Irreparable Loss’ reconstructs the timeline of the case and presents the key details surrounding it.
Jessica Ridgeway’s Dismembered Remains Were Found on the Side of the Road
Jessica Christine Ridgeway was born on January 23, 2002, to Sarah Ridgeway and Jeremiah Bryant. She was the joy of not only her parents’ lives but also her entire extended family. Her grandparents, aunts, and uncles all adored her. She was a bright student at Witt Elementary School and had often said that she wanted to grow up to become a cheerleader. Like any child, she loved to sing, dance, and frolic around the house and was leading a peaceful life. On October 5, 2012, Jessica left her home and was supposed to meet her friends at a nearby park before walking with them to school. That day, however, she never showed up.
Jessica did not make it to school either, and by that afternoon, her parents had filed a missing person report for her. An immediate investigation was launched, and many neighbors, friends, and family members came together to search for her. On October 7, detectives working on the case found a backpack that contained Jessica’s glasses and some clothing. Then, on October 10, 2012, they discovered two black bags on the side of a road in Arvada, Colorado, containing dismembered human remains. The remains were identified as Jessica’s. Her autopsy later revealed that the cause of her death was strangulation. She had also been sexually assaulted.
Jessica Ridgeway’s Killer Confessed His Crimes to His Mother
When Jessica Ridgeway was reported missing, a massive search for her was launched. Police called for more than 700 DNA samples to be examined and compared with the evidence recovered in Jessica’s case, but no match was found. The first breakthrough in the investigation came when authorities discovered that the DNA matched evidence from an attempted kidnapping case on May 28, 2012. The survivor had reported that someone placed a rag with a foul-smelling odor over her mouth, but she managed to escape and call 911. She described her perpetrator as a white man between the ages of 18 and 30 and provided a detailed description of his physical features.
Police knew that Jessica’s case was connected to another crime, but they had still not been able to make an arrest. That changed on October 23, 2012, when Mindy Sigg called 911 and reported that her son, Austin Sigg, had confessed to the killing. Mindy had raised two sons as a single mother and later said that when news of Jessica’s disappearance became public, she had feared for the safety of her own children. When authorities released a description of the perpetrator, she remarked that it was oddly similar to Austin but assumed it was merely a coincidence. On October 23, when Austin told her that he wanted to speak with her, she said she immediately knew what it was about, and he confessed to the crime. Detectives later found additional remains of Jessica in the crawlspace of Austin’s home.
Austin had been sent to therapy at the age of 12 after he reportedly developed an addiction to pornography. Prosecutors later argued that his fantasies had become increasingly violent and that he had acted on them, first during the attempted kidnapping on May 28 and then in the killing of Jessica months later. Austin himself admitted that he had used a homemade chloroform-like substance during the attempted kidnapping but had failed. He later saw Jessica and randomly decided to abduct her. According to investigators, he waited for her on the morning of October 5, 2012, before taking her to his house. He was charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, second-degree kidnapping, felony murder, robbery, and charges related to the earlier kidnapping attempt. It was ultimately decided that he would be tried as an adult.
Austin Sigg is Serving His Sentence at an Undisclosed Location Today
On October 1, 2013, before his trial could begin, Austin Sigg pleaded guilty to a total of 15 charges, including first-degree murder, sexual assault of a minor, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and sexual exploitation of a minor. He also pleaded guilty to the kidnapping-related charges stemming from the May 28, 2012, case. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. However, the judge ordered an additional 86 years to be served once he became eligible for parole. In 2014, Austin was transferred to an undisclosed out-of-state prison for his own safety and that of his family. He remains behind bars to this day.
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