The bridge where Denise Lynn Oliverson was abducted

This is the site where serial killer Ted Bundy abducted Denise Lynn Oliverson.

It is located at the South 5th Street Bridge in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Oliverson disappeared on April 6, 1975, after leaving her home on LaVeta Street. The following day, a railroad worker discovered her yellow 10-speed bicycle and sandals under this overpass.

There has been no trace of her since.

Timeline

At the time of her disappearance, Oliverson lived with her husband, Joe, in a small house on LaVeta Street.

The couple were reportedly experiencing marital difficulties in 1975 and planned to divorce. When they argued, she often left the house and cycled across the South 5th Street Bridge to stay with her parents for the night.

On the day of her disappearance, Oliverson had another fight with Joe.

Following the argument, she left their small one-bedroom home and cycled toward her parents' house on the other side of the Colorado River.

Disappearance

Investigators believe the 24-year-old was cycling down a small pathway on the eastern side of the bridge when she encountered Bundy.

Bundy parked his Volkswagen Bug under this overpass, which was a relatively secluded area in the 1970s.

The crime took place on a Sunday, when the location was likely quieter than usual.

Investigation

When Oliverson failed to return, her husband presumed she was spending the night at her parents' house. However, he called them the following day and learned she had never arrived. Her parents subsequently contacted the police and reported her missing.

That same day, a railroad employee found her bicycle and sandals under the overpass.

Former Grand Junction Police Department detectives Doug Rushing and Jim Fromm told true-crime YouTuber Captain Borax that a purse and belt belonging to Oliverson were also found beneath the viaduct. However, the items never made it into the evidence locker because another officer gave them to his girlfriend.

Although the discovery led police to suspect foul play, no other leads emerged.

Confession

The truth emerged when Bundy confessed in January 1989, shortly before his execution. He admitted to abducting and murdering a woman in Grand Junction while he was traveling through Colorado.

During his five-day trip across the state, he covered approximately 1,035 miles. While visiting Golden, he returned to the body of Julie Cunningham, whom he had murdered 20 days earlier.

On April 4, 1975, Bundy bought gas in Golden, Colorado. The following day, he stopped at a gas station in Silverthorne.

He visited Grand Junction on April 6, the day Oliverson went missing. Records showed he purchased fuel at a Chevron station in the city.

Bundy said he lured Oliverson into his car and strangled her. He then drove five miles west and disposed of her body in the Colorado River.

Oliverson's remains have never been recovered. In 2019, the Grand Junction Police Department officially closed her case.