“She was the most amazing mother ever,” friend of woman found near Old Pueblo road hopes for justice
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- One of Alison Cantrell's closest friends says she is still shocked about what happened to her friend earlier this week.
Leah Larsen says Cantrell was the mother of a young daughter who she cared for more than anything in the world.
Larsen says she admired Cantrell's positive attitude and says she had a smile that was contagious.
"She had the best heart out of anybody I've ever met in my life," Larsen says. "She was my best friend and we were very, very close."
Larsen and Cantrell became best friends in 2017. Since then, they have been inseparable.
"We were always together," Larsen says. "We talked every day if we weren't together."
"The one person in the world that shouldn't have been taken," Larsen says.
The last time Larsen spoke with Cantrell was this past Saturday, just before surveillance camera footage showed Cantrell inside a Colorado Springs 7-Eleven. It was the last time anyone saw her alive.
"I didn't hear from her for the rest of the night and I texted her Sunday to see if she wanted to grab lunch cause that's what we did a lot, and never heard from her," Larsen says. "I thought it was really weird and started to get concerned."
Larsen's worry grew when she learned Cantrell didn't show up for her shift at an Old Colorado City Restaurant that same Sunday. She reached out to her again that night but got no answer.
It wouldn't be until Monday, two days after they last spoke, that Cantrell's body was found dead near Old Pueblo Road.
"I just thought it wasn't true," Larsen says. "I keep waiting for somebody to call me and tell me it was a mistake."
Larsen is now trying to figure out how and why this happened.
"It's just really shocking," Larsen says. "Especially the time frame I don't understand what happened and I don't know where she was at."
According to Larsen, Cantrell was found was nowhere near where she lived.
"Whoever did it was clearly trying to hide her," Larsen says, "where it was at was nowhere near anyone or anything that she's associated with."
As for her suspicions on who could have done this, Larsen says she doesn't know but hopes law enforcement will find them.
"She didn't deserve this and I just want to know who did it and bring them to justice," Larsen says.
The Sheriff's Office is still asking for any information from the public that could help them with this ongoing investigation. If you have information, you're encouraged to call 719-520-6666.
