On the evening of September 17, 2004, 53-year-old Al Kite was found brutally murdered in his Aurora, Colorado townhome. The case would become one of the most perplexing unsolved homicides in Colorado history, marked by tantalizing evidence, a suspect who vanished without a trace, and forensic clues that have yet to deliver justice nearly two decades later.
The Last Day: Al Kite’s Final Hours
Al Kite lived a quiet life. A single man who worked as a financial planner, he had recently placed an advertisement seeking a roommate to help with expenses. On September 16, 2004, a man responded to the ad, expressing interest in renting a room in Kite’s townhome on South Joliet Circle.
According to the timeline reconstructed by investigators, the potential renter visited Kite’s home that evening to view the property. Neighbors reported seeing an unfamiliar vehicle, a distinctive blue-green Mitsubishi Gallant with a temporary license plate. The visit appeared routine at first, but it would be the last time anyone saw Al Kite alive.
The following day, when Kite failed to show up for work and didn’t answer phone calls, concerned colleagues contacted authorities for a welfare check. What police discovered inside the townhome was horrifying: Kite had been stabbed repeatedly and his throat slashed. The extreme violence suggested either a personal motive or a perpetrator who had lost control during the encounter.
The Crime Scene: Evidence Left Behind
The murder of Al Kite left investigators with an unusual wealth of physical evidence. Yet frustratingly, none of it would immediately lead to an arrest. The crime scene told the story of a prolonged and violent struggle. Blood evidence indicated the attack had moved through multiple rooms, suggesting Kite had fought desperately for his life.
Most significantly, the killer spent considerable time at the scene after the murder. He showered in Kite’s bathroom, apparently attempting to wash away evidence. He ate food from the refrigerator. He even did laundry, presumably cleaning blood from his clothing. This bizarre post-murder behavior indicated either extreme confidence or a disturbing lack of concern about being caught.
The suspect left behind a treasure trove of forensic evidence: DNA from blood, saliva, and other sources; fingerprints throughout the home; and shoe impressions. Investigators also recovered fibers and hair samples. Perhaps most remarkably, the killer had bandaged an injury he sustained during the attack, leaving behind gauze and medical tape soaked with his own blood.
A Suspect Emerges and Disappears
Through witness accounts and collected evidence, investigators constructed a detailed profile of their primary suspect. Neighbors who had seen the visitor described him as a white or Hispanic male in his twenties to early thirties, approximately 5’8″ to 5’10” tall with a medium build.
Phone records from responses to Kite’s roommate advertisement provided another crucial lead. One caller had used a number traced to a prepaid cell phone purchased at a local Walmart. Surveillance footage from the store showed a man matching the suspect’s description purchasing the phone with cash, a deliberate attempt to avoid leaving a traceable identity.
The suspect had given a name during his communications with Kite, but investigators quickly determined it was an alias. The temporary license plate on the Mitsubishi Gallant led to a dead end as well; it had been fraudulently obtained. Every avenue seemed calculated to prevent identification, suggesting premeditation and experience in avoiding detection.
Despite the detailed physical evidence and witness descriptions, the suspect seemed to vanish. He never returned to the vehicle, never used the prepaid phone again, and left no further trace in the area. It was as if he had simply ceased to exist.
The DNA Dilemma: Evidence Without Identity
The murder of Al Kite presented a maddening paradox for law enforcement: they possessed an exceptional amount of the killer’s DNA but couldn’t match it to anyone in existing databases. The DNA profile was entered into CODIS, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, but returned no matches. The suspect had no criminal record, at least not one that included DNA collection.
Fingerprints told the same frustrating story. The prints recovered from the scene were clear and usable, but matched no one in local, state, or federal databases. Either the killer had never been arrested, or his prints had never been properly recorded.
Over the years, investigators have periodically resubmitted the DNA as databases have expanded and technology has improved. They’ve explored familial DNA searching, which can identify relatives of the suspect even if the suspect himself isn’t in the database. They’ve utilized advanced forensic genetic genealogy techniques similar to those that cracked the Golden State Killer case. Yet the killer’s identity remains unknown.
Theories and Investigative Turning Points
The seemingly random nature of the crime has led investigators to consider several theories about motive. Was this a robbery gone wrong? The killer did steal Kite’s truck, which was found abandoned several days later, but little else appeared to have been taken. Was it a personal vendetta? There was no evidence that Kite knew his attacker before the roommate inquiry.
One chilling theory suggests this may not have been the suspect’s first or last crime. The comfort level displayed at the scene, the elaborate precautions taken to avoid identification, and the controlled nature of the cleanup all suggest someone with experience. Some investigators have wondered whether the killer might be connected to other unsolved homicides in the region, though no definitive links have been established.
In 2014, the case received renewed attention when Aurora Police released a detailed profile of the suspect along with enhanced composite sketches. They also revealed that DNA analysis had provided information about the suspect’s likely ancestry and physical characteristics, including possible geographic origins of his family lineage.
The Most Disputed Evidence
Among investigators and true crime analysts, debate continues about several aspects of the evidence. Some question whether the suspect’s extended time at the crime scene indicates psychological instability or cold calculation. The fact that he bandaged his wounds and cleaned up suggests rational thought, yet the extreme violence of the attack seems to indicate rage or loss of control.
Another point of contention involves whether the crime was truly opportunistic or if Al Kite had been specifically targeted. The roommate advertisement provided a convenient cover for gaining entry to the home, but was that the killer’s goal from the start, or did the situation escalate unexpectedly?
Where the Case Stands Today
The murder of Al Kite remains an open investigation with Aurora Police. Detective Mark Crider, who has worked the case for years, has stated that he believes the case can still be solved. Advances in genetic genealogy offer new hope, as investigators can now potentially trace family lineages through public DNA databases in ways that weren’t possible when the crime occurred.
The killer left so much of himself at the scene that his identification seems inevitable. It is simply a matter of finding the right connection. Whether through a distant relative submitting DNA to a genealogy website, a future arrest for an unrelated crime, or a tip from someone who recognizes the composite sketches, the case may yet be resolved.
For those who knew Al Kite, the passage of time hasn’t diminished the need for answers. His colleagues remembered him as diligent and kind, someone who didn’t deserve the brutal end he met. The question that continues to shadow this case isn’t whether the killer will be found, but when, and what other crimes he may have committed in the years since that September evening in 2004.
Anyone with information about the murder of Al Kite is urged to contact the Aurora Police Department or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. Even the smallest detail could be the piece that finally brings this cold case to a close.
