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Arrest Made in 2011 Homicide Case

by KREX News Room
by Cori Coffin

Story Created: Sep 28, 2012 at 6:50 PM MDT

Story Updated: Sep 28, 2012 at 11:16 PM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.-After more than a year, an arrest has been made in a homicide investigation.

Detectives with the Montgomery County Homicide Unit in Pennsylvania arrested 36-year-old Billy Joe Delacey for the alleged murder of 26-year-old Luis Alberto Vasquez Oliva.

Mesa County sheriff's deputies say they had their suspect shortly after the crime, but it's been a long process to collect evidence they believe could convict Delacey.

In August 2011, Oliva was found dead in his apartment at 540 29 Road in Grand Junction, after being violently beaten.

Oliva had a Craigslist ad in which he solicited sex for money.

Evidence shows Delacey, who was a Fruita resident at the time and had a prior record, was one of Oliva's clients.

Investigators found that Delacey actually sent Oliva a picture of his mug shot during email correspondence.

After more than a year's worth of investigating, a grand jury has now indicted Delacey, who was arrested without incident in Pennsylvania.

"Really the outcome that they're after is just a successful prosecution, some closure for the family and someone being held accountable," explained Heather Benjamin with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office. "For them the case is ultimately done now and moves on to the court process in the district attorney's office, and investigators will be part of a trial should that occur."

The sheriff's office will now work on extraditing Delacey back to Colorado from a detention facility in Montgomery County, Pa., where he is being held without bond.

Official say this can be a lengthy process, and there is currently no estimated date of arrival in Mesa County.

Delacey is being charged with one count of murder in the first degree, one count of murder in the second degree, one count of possession of sexually exploitative material and one count of theft.

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