Homeless Man's Clothes Found In Stabbed Mom's Denver Home: Cops

DENVER, CO -- Denver police on Friday arrested a homeless man whose clothing and ID were found in the Denver apartment of a woman who was stabbed to death in her downtown loft apartment, the Denver Police Department announced. Terry Dunford, 40, was taken into custody in connection with the death of Jeanna Leslie, 49, a teacher and mother of four.

Leslie's body was found Feb. 14 in her apartment after her ex-husband asked police to check on her, according to an arrest affidavit. Leslie had been scheduled to pick up her children from a Denver Nuggets basketball game Feb. 13 and had not shown up, the affidavit said.

Police and Denver Fire personnel broke down the door of Leslie's apartment in the Rio Grande Lofts and encountered "the overwhelming smell of decomposition," according to a police affidavit. Police found bloody clothing and blood stains on the walls and floor, the affidavit said. There was evidence that there had been an attempt to clean up the blood stains.

They found Leslie's body with multiple stab wounds in a bathroom wearing "a white button down shirt with blood stains." Several bloody kitchen knives were found in the apartment. Police also found a man's size pair of cargo pants and sweatshirt with blood stains and a wallet containing several pieces of identification belonging to Dunford, including a drivers license, a Veterans Affairs and Denver Rescue Mission card issued Feb. 7. as well as a "custody report from the Wheat Ridge police department," with Dunford's name on it, the affidavit said.

Two empty six-packs of beer were found in the studio apartment, and in the cargo pants pocket police found a liquor receipt from a liquor store in the 1600 block of Champa Street with a date of Feb. 7, at 5:04 p.m. Surveillance video from the liquor store showed the victim, carrying a black purse, entering the shop with a man with a goatee, dressed in cargo pants and a sweatshirt, the affidavit said.

A search of Leslie's cell phone found no calls or texts had been sent out after Feb. 7, the affidavit said.

Leslie, a former Dallas, Texas resident, moved to Denver to be closer to her teenage children, a report from CBS4 said. Her children told the station say she was always willing to help people and trusted people. “Sometimes that could get her in trouble,” her daughter, Audra said.

Police on Friday set out a Crime Stoppers alert seeking Dunford. He was arrested late Friday night.

"The Denver Police Department wants to thank the community for tips it provided, which did help officers to locate and arrest Dunford," a statement from DPD said.

Dunford is being held in the Denver County Jail, likely facing charges of first-degree murder, the DPD said.

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Image Terry Dunford via Denver Police Department