YORK, Neb. - Jessica Bejarano was killed in her Colorado home in 2007. Authorities were unsure of who was responsible - that is, until last month, when DNA evidence connected investigators in Colorado to Darrell Burklund, in York, Nebraska, more than 400 miles away and nearly 18 years after Jessica was murdered. 

According to a press release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Burklund, now aged 72, was arrested on March 14 in York and charged with one count of second degree murder. He waived extradition on March 26, and now a court date has been set for April 30 which will finalize the details of his transfer back to Colorado. 

On April 6, 2007, police officers in Frederick, Colorado discovered Bejarano's body in the bathroom of her home, where she had suffered a single stab wound in the chest. Bejarano was 25 at the time, and her children, a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son, were in the house at the time of the murder. In an affidavit including interviews with the deceased's daughter, she claimed to been an eyewitness to the murder, telling police a big man had come into the home and stabbed her mother.

Investigators initially considered several suspects, including the victim's husband - he was later cleared when it was determined that he was at work at the time of death. But ultimately, investigators "obtained DNA evidence" that linked them with Burklund, the CBI release said. Burklund was a contractor with maintenance companies that performed a few repairs on the Bejarano home. In their interview process, CBI reported that Bejarano had felt "creeped out" by a maintenance guy who would continually do work on her home - and they eventually determined that Burklund was that "maintenance guy."

According to Colorado news station 9 News, Burklund confessed to the murder when he was arrested in York in March. He told investigators that he knew Bejarano's husband wasn't home when he knocked on their door the morning of the murder. He said the two got into an argument, and he stabbed her. He then left the house in Colorado and immediately fled east into Nebraska, throwing the knife he used in the stabbing out the window along the way. Burklund was 54 years old at the time of the murder.

9 News also reports that Burklund wrote a note to the victim's children after he confessed, apologizing for committing the act and taking their mother away from them. 

"Hello my name is Darrell Burkland," the note reads. "I'm the man who took your mother's life 18 yrs. ago. An accident and bad judgement on my part robbed your family [of] the most important person in your life. If I could go back to that day I could [guarantee] things would be different. The things I put your family thru has worked on me all this time. As is your case my family meant everything to me. I don't expect your forgiveness my conscience will torture me the rest of my life. If I could turn back the hands of time you, your brother, and dad would enjoy your mom while you were growing up. I'm so sorry this happened."

“This arrest is the culmination of years of tireless work by our investigators for the unwavering pursuit of justice for Jessica Bejarano and her family,” CBI Director Chris Schaefer, who was one of the original CBI agents assigned to this case in 2007, said in his office's initial release. "I want to remind the victims' families to never give up hope. No matter how old or complicated these cases are, our cold case team is dedicated to resolving the most difficult cases no matter how long it takes."

"We are grateful for the diligent and hard work of the CBI and its cold case team. We never gave up hope. Chris Schaefer, who was on Jessica's case from day one, made a promise that he would not retire until Jessica's case was solved. He has kept his promise, " said Cece Merrow, mother of Jessica Bejarano. "There were so many twists and turns in her case, but we always had faith in the CBI." 

Burklund will now face a hearing in the York County District Court under Judge Lynelle Homolka which will advance the status of his extradition process before he is ultimately escorted back to Colorado to officially face charges in a case that is close to two decades in the making.