Police announce they solved the 1999 cold case murder of Jennifer Watkins in Colorado Springs at Memorial Hospital

The body of Jennifer Watkins was found in a “secluded” stairwell of Memorial Hospital at 1400 E. Boulder St. on Nov. 8, 1999. For years, police asked for help in the case. On Wednesday, CSPD announced to the public the case has been solved.

According to investigators, Watkins had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death before her body was wrapped in plastic. A person of interest was identified in August of 2020 through DNA profiling using semen that was found on her clothing. The person of interest was identified as Ricky Severt. In October of 2020, a case report was sent to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for review as investigators were certain Severt was responsible for the death of Watkins because of the DNA findings and Severt’s place of employment was also Memorial Hospital. Severt was killed in a traffic accident in 2001, and the investigation into the murder of Jennifer Watkins will be closed out as exceptionally cleared/death of offender.