Domestic Dogs Suspected in Death of Costilla County Woman

Description: The Costilla County Sheriff’s Office Released the Following Statement Regarding a Fatal Dog Attack that Occurred in January...

Domestic Dogs Suspected in January Death of Costilla County Woman

The Costilla County Sheriff’s Office has received results from the El Paso County Coroner from an autopsy conducted on 68-year-old Cindy Denholm, who was found dead Jan. 23, 2025 at the Sangre de Cristo Ranches community in Costilla County.

The Costilla County Sheriff’s Office investigated the death with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

The examiner’s opinion is that Denholm died as a result of multiple injuries from an animal attack. The injuries were consistent with those inflicted by a canine.

CPW assisted in the investigation when evidence of animal involvement was discovered. CPW determined there was no evidence of wildlife involvement in the incident. The evidence found points to domestic canines. The area has had a history of domestic dogs running loose for years, some of which have been feral.

Swab samples taken on bite wounds were obtained during the autopsy. Those samples will be available for further DNA analysis.

“The Costilla County Sheriff's Office has been in contact and working with CPW along with CBI regarding this investigation,” said Costilla County Sheriff Danny Sanchez. “Costilla County Sheriff's Office is in contact with CBI regarding obtaining sampling of the dog's DNA to compare with any injuries.”

Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.

The Police Beat Sponsor