Andrew Jenicek case on The Murder Tapes - A complete timeline of events

On April 5, 2018, 27-year-old Andrew Jenicek got out of his car in an Edgewater parking lot to grab barbecue for his girlfriend. The routine errand became deadly when three young suspects ambushed him in an attempted robbery.

Andrew Jenicek, a University of Sioux Falls football scholarship recipient and University of Colorado Denver finance graduate who worked for the state, was shot in the chest and run over as the attackers fled. The case was marked by quick police work utilizing surveillance footage and witness accounts.

It resulted in convictions on first-degree murder charges against all three suspects under Colorado's felony murder law. This tragic incident showcases how dangerous everyday moments can turn and how to pursue justice using modern investigative tools.

The episode Marked for Murder from The Murder Tapes, season 10, episode 4, examines the case through body camera footage, 911 calls, and interviews. It aired on December 10, 2025, on Investigation Discovery. Viewers can stream it on Hulu, Max, or ID GO with a cable subscription. 

The Murder Tapes: The ambush and murder of Andrew Jenicek (April 5, 2018)

Andrew Jenicek went to a strip mall in the area of West 20th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard to pick up take-out orders from a restaurant around 7 p.m. That's when 19-year-old Caleb Vigil, armed with a gun, asked for his wallet in a robbery attempt.

Jenicek, as he struggled with Vigil for possession of the gun, reached for it, prompting a shot to his chest from a single round. This attacker then went back to a sedan he was driving with his accomplice, 20-year-old Devon Howard, who accelerated, running over Andrew Jenicek, who left behind his wallet.

Jenicek was declared dead from this attack, which was caught on a surveillance camera, prompting a rapid reaction from the police. Another 19-year-old, Alicia Valdez, was driving the getaway vehicle, as per the Denver Post.

Immediate aftermath and subsequent crimes: April 5-6, 2018

A short while later, Howard transported Vigil and Valdez to a residence in Arvada. There, the duo shot into a bedroom window in an attempt to intimidate a pregnant female witness scheduled to testify in a trial that was unrelated to their actions.

Although no one was harmed, this offense would later be charged as a count of aggravated witness intimidation and retaliation. The very next day, on April 6, an armed robbery occurred in a Lakewood cell phone store. This robbery also utilized the gun from Andrew Jenicek’s murder, according to the Denver Post.

Investigation and arrests: April 2018

Edgewater police quickly launched an investigation, which included cameras in the parking lot of the complex where the shooting happened that caught a partial license plate of the suspects' car. Within days, police pinpointed the vehicle registered to Valdez and mapped its movements.

Arrest warrants were issued for Vigil, Howard, and Valdez on April 9. Authorities first arrested Howard and Vigil, then Valdez. Valdez had helped to obtain the gun days before the murder, Vigil pulled the trigger, and Howard drove during the getaway.

Ballistic evidence connected the weapon with both the homicide and the shooting in Arvada. Digital evidence and cooperative witnesses cemented it-the felony murder case against them was pretty tight, as the Denver Post reported.

Trials of Vigil and Howard: May-June 2019

A Jefferson County jury started a 10-day trial for Vigil and Howard on April 22, 2019. The prosecution showed videotape evidence, ballistic analysis, and witness accounts of a robbery attempt and escape. The defense claimed a lack of intent to commit murder, yet evidence of planned violence was evident.

After two and a half days of deliberation, both were found guilty on May 2 of 16 charges, including first-degree murder and conspiracy, for Vigil. Howard was found guilty of 18 charges, including aggravated robbery and intimidation of witnesses.

Sentencing occurred on June 3, with both receiving a life sentence without parole plus other years: 124 for Vigil, 171 for habitual offender Howard, as per the Denver Post.

Trial and sentencing of Valdez: July-August 2019

The trial of Valdez was moved to a separate trial in July 2019, with charges of her complicity in relation to providing a car and a gun. The prosecution offered evidence from phone records and witnesses that showed she knew of the robbery.

The jury reached a verdict in six days, finding her guilty of first-degree murder as a felony murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and conspiracy on July 19. Though she pleaded that she was not a major player, she was found with direct involvement in the plan.

On August 23, she was sentenced to life without parole, as were her co-defendants, thus concluding this case as all three were found accountable for Andrew Jenicek’s death in the felony, according to the Denver Post.

Watch The Murder Tapes, season 10, Episode 4, available on ID.