Victor McClendon

Victor Dee McClendon, a 32-year-old White man, was a dedicated Safeway manager who had been with the grocery store chain for eight years. By the winter of 1975, he was married to his wife, Joann, and was a father to two young sons. He was known as a hardworking man who had recently been promoted to manage the Safeway at 2308 East Pikes Peak Avenue in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His life was rooted in his family and his career, both of which were violently upended in a crime that has remained a mystery for decades.

The morning of Saturday, January 11, 1975, began like any other workday for McClendon. He arrived at the supermarket to prepare for its opening, but sometime between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m., the store became a crime scene. In what police believed was a robbery that escalated into an abduction, McClendon vanished. An undetermined amount of cash was taken from the office safe, and while McClendon’s car remained in the parking lot, he was gone. The Colorado Springs Police Department immediately launched an investigation, treating his disappearance as a bona fide kidnapping.

For a week, his family and the community waited with fading hope. The search came to a devastating end on January 18, 1975. Two children, exploring an abandoned garage in rural Adams County, more than 100 miles north of Colorado Springs, made a grim discovery. Inside was the body of Victor McClendon. He had been blindfolded and was still dressed in his work apron. An autopsy would confirm he died from a single gunshot wound to the back. The discovery shifted the focus of the investigation from a kidnapping to a homicide, handled jointly by the Adams County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department.

The investigation into McClendon's murder was complex and spanned several years. In a significant development, authorities arrested a suspect. In June 1977, a 24-year-old Denver man named Robert K. Dawson was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and burglary in connection with the case. His trial was scheduled to begin in September of that year. However, despite the arrest and charges, the path to justice was not clear. The outcome of the trial is not publicly documented, but because law enforcement agencies continue to classify the homicide as unsolved, it is presumed that the charges were either dismissed or ended in an acquittal.

In the years following the murder, the case grew cold, leaving McClendon’s family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. No other suspects have ever been publicly identified, and no further arrests have been made. The motive, beyond the initial robbery, remains unknown, as do the specific events that transpired between McClendon's abduction in Colorado Springs and his death in Adams County.

Decades have passed, but the case of Victor McClendon's murder is not closed. It remains an open investigation with the Colorado Springs Police Department's Cold Case Homicide Unit. In an effort to generate new leads, a $10,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death. As of today, the case continues to wait for the one crucial tip that could finally bring closure to a family that has waited nearly half a century for answers and for justice for Victor.