Man charged with murder after woman found dead near Clark

A man who was arrested after a woman’s body was found near Steamboat Springs has been charged with first-degree murder, burglary and theft.

Steamboat Today reports 22-year-old Cole Pollard appeared in court Thursday, a day after his arrest at a campsite near Trappers Lake in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. The body of 22-year-old Patricia Richmond was found Monday in a home near the small community of Clark.

According to court records, sheriff’s deputies say Pollard told them he choked Richmond to death, tied her up and then raped her. Pollard then said he stole several items from the home and left.

It’s not clear if Pollard has hired an attorney. He is being held without bail.