Murder of Jade Colvin

Jade Marie Colvin was 15 when she disappeared from a farm near Decorah, Iowa, in March 2017. She had recently returned from Arizona and was staying temporarily at property owned by James Bachmurski. The Iowa Attorney General's Office said Jade was last seen with Bachmurski at a Decorah store on March 29. Early the next day, she stopped responding to text messages and ceased all known communication, including through social media. Her remains have never been recovered.

Jade remained listed as a missing person while investigators revisited the case. A two-year investigation initiated with help from the United States Marshals Service involved the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Authorities concluded that Bachmurski was responsible for Jade's disappearance and death. Iowa prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder in 2024, and he was returned from Georgia to face proceedings in Winneshiek County. Bachmurski pleaded not guilty and disputed the state's circumstantial case.

The trial began in August 2025 and lasted six days. Because Jade's body had not been found, prosecutors relied on her abrupt loss of contact and other evidence concerning her final days at the farm. On September 2, 2025, a Winneshiek County jury found Bachmurski guilty of second-degree murder. The Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse subsequently updated Jade's official entry to record the conviction while retaining the listing until remains can be located and positively identified.

Before sentencing, the defense sought a new trial and argued that the evidence had not proved guilt. The district court denied that motion. On October 21, 2025, the court sentenced Bachmurski to 50 years in prison; KCRG reported that he must serve 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. His attorneys indicated that they planned to appeal. The standing conviction supports a solved classification even though Jade's remains remain missing and appellate litigation may follow. Coordinates identify Decorah generally because reputable sources describe the farm only as rural or near Decorah; they do not identify a public crime-scene coordinate. The crimes-against-children warning reflects Jade's age, while the narrative avoids unsupported claims about the precise manner of death.