Suspect Arrested In Natalie Bollinger Murder Case

BRIGHTON, CO -- This story has been corrected to correctly identify the name of the suspect.

Joseph Michael Lopez, 22, arrested Thursday in connection with the death of Natalie Bollinger, 19, of Broomfield. Lopez told investigators he answered a Craigslist ad Bollinger took out asking for someone to kill her "execution style," according to an arrest affidavit.

Lopez is in custody in the Adams County jail with no bail, facing charges of first-degree murder.

Denver 7 reported that Lopez told detectives he came across an online ad in the "Women seeking men" section of Craigslist with the headline "I want to put a hit on myself," according to the affidavit.

The two exchanged more than 100 texts, and using a fake hitman persona, Lopez agreed to kill her for an unspecified fee.

The affidavit states that Lopez told police he picked her up from her apartment on Dec. 28 and that she said she wanted to be killed “on her knees ... executed from behind.”

Bollinger brought a gun with her, the affidavit said. Lopez told police she told him she was having problems with her boyfriend. The boyfriend had reported Bollinger missing and also said his Glock pistol was missing from his home.

Lopez initially told investigators he drove around trying to talk Bollinger out of her plan, and then brought Bollinger back to her home. But cell phone location data showed him at the scene of the shooting, the affidavit said. Lopez then admitted he shot her.

Lopez told investigators Bollinger “knelt down on the ground and that he knelt down along her left side and slightly in front of her.” They both said a prayer, he got up, closed his eyes and shot Bollinger, he said. He left with Bollinger’s purse and the pistol, the affidavit said.

Police contacted Lopez on his way to his job at Domino's Pizza, the affidavit said. He told investigators that “he was pretty sure that he knew what we were there for,” and that “he was sure it had to do with the girl he talked to on Craigslist,” the affidavit said.

Bollinger's autopsy report said she had a lethal amount of heroin in her blood, and that she appeared to have a history of heroin and methamphetamine use, Denver 7 reported.

In a Friday press conference, Sheriff Michael McIntosh acknowledged frustration in the lack of information about the case for five weeks after Bollinger's death. He said the investigation involved combing through the 19-year-old's social media contacts, and her phone and following every lead with interviews.

"It takes time to go through all of that. There was a lot of data there," he said. No other person of interest, was considered a suspect in this case, McIntosh said.

McIntosh specifically said Bollinger's acquaintance Shawn Schwartz was not considered a suspect. Bollinger had filed a restraining order against Schwartz in December for allegedly stalking and harassing her.

Broomfield police announced Bollinger had gone missing in late December. Before Adams County Sheriff's detectives had made an official announcement, Bollinger's father, Tim Bollinger, announced on Facebook that his daughter was "murdered."

Born in Westminster, Natalie Bollinger lived in Colorado, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to her obituary. She attended Churchland High School and had recently enrolled in college to become a registered nurse. She was an artist and loved animals, her family said. Along with her father, she was survived by mother Rose and step-father James Self, twin sister Alycia, brothers Gabe and Ted Jr. Konrad, Sisters Luna and Violet, and grandparents Denise & Robert Stuart and Elizabeth & Henry Self, the obituary said.

Lopez is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 12.

More from Patch:

Broomfield Teen Goes Missing: Police Seek Help

Missing Broomfield Teen Was 'Murdered,' Father Says

Broomfield Teen Homicide: Alleged Stalker Charged With Cop Assault

Image via Broomfield Police

This story incorrectly originally reported the name of the suspect in an earlier version.