Life had not been easy for Jade Colvin, but at 14, she was trying to make the best of her difficult circumstances. However, the unimaginable was about to unfold, leading to a tragedy that would shock the nation.
A Troubled Start
In 2015, when Jade was 13, she and her siblings were placed into foster care due to their mother's substance abuse and mental health issues. Jade had no contact with her father, and authorities determined that removal from the home was necessary. Over nine months, Jade moved through various facilities and foster homes. She disliked living with strangers and missed her mother, LaDawn, in Iowa. Jade frequently ran away to hide with her mother or other relatives, altering her appearance and dyeing her hair to avoid detection. However, her sociable nature and love for staying in touch with friends made it difficult to stay hidden for long. Each time, she was found and returned to the system.
The Disappearance
On June 10, 2016, Jade ran away from a shelter for troubled youth, and this time, authorities could not trace her. She was reported as a runaway. For a while, she hid with friends and family, planning to wait until she turned 18 to legally make her own decisions. Unbeknownst to authorities, Jade vanished just after her 15th birthday in March 2017, and even her family did not know her whereabouts.
Jade's loved ones posted requests on social media for her to get in touch, expressing how much they missed her. Some hoped she was lying low until she turned 18 to avoid the legal system. Others who had harbored her did not report her missing out of fear of legal repercussions.
The Investigation
In 2019, LaDawn passed away, but Jade did not attend the funeral, shocking family members. She had not contacted anyone in nearly two years. In 2020, U.S. Marshals launched Operation Homecoming, an initiative to find missing children across several states. They began investigating Jade's case, examining her last known movements.
Jade had been active on social media until March 30, 2017, after which there was no activity. Investigators pieced together statements and digital evidence, discovering that LaDawn had sent Jade to stay at a farm in Decorah, Iowa, owned by James Bachmurski. LaDawn had met him online and they had briefly dated. The farm, located three hours from LaDawn's home in Mallard, Iowa, sat on 400 acres of land and woodland. It was considered a perfect place for Jade to lie low temporarily while LaDawn tried to get back on her feet.
Jade moved to the farm on March 23, 2017, but after a week, she stopped communicating with family. LaDawn visited the farm, and Bachmurski claimed Jade had run away again. He did not contact police, fearing legal trouble. Operation Homecoming appealed for information. Bachmurski had sold the farm in 2018 and moved to Georgia, and the house had been gutted and renovated.
Investigators spoke to Bachmurski's son, Bryan, who was a teenager when Jade arrived. They got along well immediately. Bryan recalled that on March 27, he went for pizza with Jade and his father, and Bachmurski took pictures of them smiling together at the restaurant. Jade looked happy. Bryan said his last contact with Jade was on March 30, when he was working a night shift at Walmart. Jade used Bachmurski's phone to message him due to poor reception at the farm. They exchanged messages and planned to talk during Bryan's break, but just after midnight, Jade stopped replying. Bryan asked, "Are you OK?" and received a reply, "Yes." Bachmurski later told Bryan that Jade had run away.
Breakthrough
Operation Homecoming traveled to Georgia to question Bachmurski. He claimed Jade was doing laundry while he ran errands, and when he returned, she was gone. He suggested someone had picked her up, pointing to tire marks on the driveway. Suspicious, the team involved local police. They spoke to a former neighbor who had a barn where Bachmurski left belongings when he moved in 2018. Inside, they found a box containing an old phone. In 2022, this became a major breakthrough.
The phone contained pictures of Jade: one with her mother on the day she dropped her at the farm, another with Bryan from the pizza outing, one of Jade holding a rifle on the farm, and another of her making a bonfire. This proved she was there. Police also found deleted messages, including those from Jade's family asking Bachmurski about her whereabouts, and messages confirming Bryan's story. They determined that the "yes" reply to Bryan was sent by Bachmurski.
Additionally, two photos showed Bachmurski's kitchen and bedroom at the farm, taken just days after Jade's last message to Bryan. The rooms were spotless, unusually so. Another photo taken two months later showed the same bedroom with a replaced bed and a return to untidiness.
Arrest and Trial
When questioned again, Bachmurski was told investigators believed Jade was dead. He replied, "You know what? I already, a long time ago, figured I'd go to the grave before I tell the truth." In August 2024, he was charged with second-degree murder. Jade's family had to accept that she had died long ago, but tragically, no body was ever found.
At the 2025 trial, the prosecution argued that Bachmurski's failure to report Jade missing pointed to his guilt. They revealed that in the month before Jade arrived, Bachmurski had been messaging her without her mother's knowledge and even helped pay for her travel to the farm. They believed Bachmurski was attracted to Jade, and the photos he took were telling. The defense claimed there was no proof Jade was dead, citing her history of running away. However, the prosecution countered that Jade had no reason to hide as she would be over 20, and she always used her phone and social media, making a complete disappearance impossible.
The jury found Bachmurski guilty of second-degree murder. It was later revealed that Bachmurski had a criminal history, including a harassment charge and a 2013 assault conviction against his own children, for which he served nearly a year in prison.
Sentencing
In October 2025, Bachmurski was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 35 years to be served before parole eligibility. At 67, this is effectively a life sentence. Jade's sister, Shalie, called Bachmurski a worthless predator. "You saw a young woman, a trusting girl, and decided to take advantage of her kindness," she said. "And when you couldn't control her, you murdered her... I hope prison shows you no mercy in the way that you showed none to Jade."
