Iowa Man Sentenced After Decade-Long Case of Missing Teen Jade Colvin

An eight-year search for missing Iowa teenager Jade Colvin ended with the conviction of 67-year-old James Bachmurski Sr., who was sentenced to 50 years in prison for her murder. The case, which began when Colvin vanished in June 2016 at age 14, culminated in a second-degree murder verdict nearly a decade later. Despite the conviction, Colvin’s remains have not been located, and questions still linger for her family and investigators.

Jade Colvin disappeared after fleeing a Des Moines-area shelter for troubled youth. She had a history of running away and spent months moving between foster placements, friends, and family homes. Both her parents struggled with substance abuse, and her mother, LaDawn Colvin, lost custody before Jade went missing. Investigators determined that LaDawn, wanting to keep her daughter out of state custody, hid her with Bachmurski at his farm in rural Decorah, Iowa in early 2017.

Detectives from Des Moines Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation dedicated years to tracking Jade’s movements, pursuing leads across multiple states. The breakthrough came when digital evidence revealed Jade had stayed at Bachmurski’s farm just before all contact ceased. Investigators discovered photos of Jade at the farm on an old cellphone belonging to Bachmurski, along with messages detailing her last interactions. Two days after Jade was last seen, Bachmurski’s phone contained photos showing unusually clean rooms, a detail inconsistent with typical descriptions of the property.

Though Bachmurski denied involvement, evidence pointed to him as the last person to see Jade alive. Prosecutors presented the lack of digital and physical traces from Jade—who had a prior pattern of resurfacing—as strong evidence of foul play. The defense argued no physical remains or weapon were found, but the jury found Bachmurski guilty of second-degree murder in August 2025.

Colvin’s friends and family, who relentlessly searched for her for years, expressed relief at the verdict but continue to hope for recovery of her remains. Authorities maintain that the investigation remains open as efforts persist to find and bring Jade home.