Natalie Bollinger, 19, of Thornton, Colorado, was reported missing on December 28, 2017. Her body was found the next day in a wooded area in Adams County with a single gunshot wound to the head; an autopsy also found a potentially lethal level of heroin in her system.

Investigators traced phone and online activity to 22-year-old Joseph Michael Lopez. Authorities say Lopez responded to a Craigslist ad that Bollinger allegedly posted seeking someone to put a hit on herself. Police reports state Lopez and Bollinger exchanged more than 100 text messages, he picked her up, and after initially telling investigators she shot herself he later admitted to firing the shot. He told police they had said a prayer together before the shooting and that he removed her purse and the gun afterward.

Some friends and family reported a history of suicidal thoughts, while others insisted she was planning for the future. Prosecutors argued Lopez had time to seek help but instead acted as a predator. Lopez was charged with first-degree murder and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; in December 2018 he received a 48-year prison sentence. Anyone with information about Natalie or her last known movements is asked to come forward.