In “Valley of the Damned: The Absent Father”, an Investigation Discovery documentary, the sad 2008 murder of Jim Durgan in Salida, Colorado is chronicled. Before apprehending his killers, the authorities did not need to search very long. The documentary presents a comprehensive explanation of how events unfolded by painstakingly separating the many layers of the case. We have the information you need if you’re curious and want to know more, including the abuser’s current whereabouts. So let’s get started, shall we?
Jim Durgan
How did Jim Durgan die?
On December 19, 1970, James Glenn “Jim” Durgan was born in Salida, Colorado. He was a carefree man who enjoyed outdoor activities like fishing and hunting. In 1990, he crossed paths with Kristin T. Durgan in Phoenix, Arizona, thanks to a mutual friend. On July 3, 1992, in Las Vegas, Kristin and Jim were married. In 1998 they returned to Salida, with Jim stating that they wanted to “lay down roots”. He had a lucrative profession in telecommunications and earned about $90,000 a year, according to the show.
Jim tried to come home on the weekends to spend time with his wife and children, Andrew and Elisabeth, but work meant he had to work away from home throughout the week. He also had a stepson named Nicholas Ayers. Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call from Kristin on July 11, 2008, stating that her husband was missing.
Jim’s automobile was discovered abandoned by authorities as they began their search in the Lone Pine Recreation Area on the Fremont County line. Police discovered a body in the Arkansas River on July 19, 2008. The body was now bloated, deformed and unrecognizable. Dental records were used by the medical examiner to determine that Jim’s body belonged to him. A blunt force wound to the head and two gunshot wounds to the skull were also noted in his autopsy report.
Who Killed Jim Durgan?
As soon as Kristin Durgan came forward with a very disturbing account of her marriage to Jim, detectives started digging into her. According to the program, Kristin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years after her marriage and she also had a gambling addiction. To keep her away from the casinos, the couple returned to Salida for a number of reasons. However, the program said Kristin discovered a casino in Cripple Creek and frequented it until her debt got out of control and her husband discovered her there.
The show claims Jim repeatedly admitted Kristin to rehab, but her gambling addiction went untreated. Instead, due to mounting debt, Jim was forced to take out a second mortgage on their home to prevent their finances from collapsing. On the show, it was also claimed that Jim found out his wife was having an affair when he returned home in March 2008. For him, that was the breaking point. After that, Jim left home and moved to Wyoming, where he was dating a woman and intended to marry her.
The divorce between Jim and Kristen was going to be amicable. Jim continued to visit the children on weekends, but he slept in a motel in Caon City. Andrew Tanner, Kristin’s boyfriend, had moved in with him, he found. Kristin was forced to work at a nearby pizzeria when Jim stopped providing her with extra money. There she met Andrew, a delivery man from the restaurant. When the police checked on Andrew, they found that he had previously been convicted of crimes. They also heard about Jim’s concerns about Andrew’s possession of firearms when his children were present.
Andrew was summoned for questioning on July 22, 2008. He was initially reluctant, but soon began to act guilty under questioning until finally asserting his right to counsel. When they had to let him go, the cops persisted in questioning Andrew. To locate suspicious late-night calls, some after 1 a.m. the night Jim disappeared, they searched through his phone records. The calls were made to Brian Folsom, a parolee who used methamphetamine and had a history of psychological issues.
Police soon uncovered other connections after learning that Brian had previously worked for Andrew’s company. Moreover, he had a long criminal past. During questioning, Brian broke down and admitted to being involved in Jim’s murder. He claimed that on July 10, 2008, Andrew gave him money to kidnap Jim from the Lone Pine Recreation Area and take him to the remote Dirty Gulch area in Fremont County near Cotopaxi. With telephone cables, Brian tied Jim’s hands to a tree, taped his eyes and mouth, then chained Jim to the tree.
Then, according to Brian, he returned to Andrew, who later returned to shoot Jim and dispose of his body. Kristin has reached out to say she has information regarding her boyfriend Andrew as police analyze all of this material. She claimed on August 28, 2008 that Andrew murdered Jim out of envy. However, the cops had discovered his lies. Jim’s girlfriend in Wyoming said he hasn’t tried to reconcile with her, despite Kristin’s initial claim.
The cops also discovered that Kristin would win nearly $500,000 if Jim died before the court’s final order for their divorce. Confronted with all these details and Brian’s admission, Kristin broke down and admitted that she was the one who used their children as bait to lure Jim to the Lone Pine Recreation Area and suggested Andrew to kill her husband. In 2008, Kristin, Brian and Andrew were arrested and charged with Jim’s murder.
Where are Kristin Durgan, Brian Folsom and Andrew Tanner today?
On July 10, 2009, after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping charges, Brian Folsom was sentenced to 48 years in prison. In April 2014, he filed for post-conviction relief, but the request was denied. The 43-year-old man is being held at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Crowley County, Colorado, and is housed in a cell there. His expected date of eligibility for release is August 20, 2040, according to his prison records.
In September 2009, Andrew Tanner was convicted of first degree murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and a violent crime. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The 36-year-old is currently serving his sentence in a cell at Limon Correctional Facility in Lincoln County, Colorado, according to official court records.
In April 2009, Kristin pleaded guilty to charges of second degree murder and kidnapping. She also testified against Andrew in his trial. She was sentenced to 54 years in prison. The 54-year-old is currently being held at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility (DWCF) in Denver, Colorado, where she is being held in a cell, according to official court records. According to his prison records, his expected parole eligibility date is March 6, 2043.
