Vigil for Kara Nichols held after her alleged killer’s court appearance Wednesday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Friends of Kara Nichols gathered outside the El Paso County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon to honor her life. The vigil took place directly following her alleged killer's court appearance at 2:30 p.m.

Nichols vanished in October of 2012 from her Colorado Springs home. It took nearly 10 years for investigators to find her remains, finding her in a Black Forest backyard in February of 2022. The man who lived on the property, Joel Hollendorfer, was taken into custody and charged with her murder the same day her remains were recovered.

Hollendorfer faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. He is not eligible for bond until a judge takes a closer look at the evidence in his case, the hearing designed to address bond is not yet scheduled.

Hollendorfer is a convicted felon with an extensive history of failing to appear in court. His Wednesday appearance was fairly procedural. Attorneys on both sides told a judge they need more time to get access to evidence before moving forward. The judge allowed a three-week delay. It was difficult for her family to process another delay after waiting all these years to seek justice in the first place.

"It feels like every second we're in court after the finding of their daughter, it's pouring salt into the wounds," Nichols family spokesperson Michelle Bart said at the vigil Wednesday.

Court documents reveal investigators arrested Hollendorfer after someone close to him told them he confessed to strangling Nichols and burying her in a horse grave in his backyard.

If you'd like to learn more about the search for justice for Kara, click here.