Prosecutors surprised a Jefferson County Courtroom in Colorado on Thursday when they announced they had a confession from 17-year-old Austin Reed Sigg and DNA evidence linking him to the murder of Jessica Ridgeway and the attempted abduction of a jogger ABC News reported.
Sigg confessed to his mother who turned him in to the police. He was arrested Wednesday and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree kidnapping and two counts of criminal attempts.
Sources told ABC News that human remains were found at Sigg's home in Westminster, less than one mile from where Jessica lived with her mother.
The mortuary science student at Arapaho Community College in Littleton has also been linked by DNA to the attempted abduction of a female jogger who was attacked on a trail near Sigg's house in May, according to prosecutors.
Sigg has not entered a plea but has been assigned a public defender. He will be tried as an adult but will not receive the death penalty or life imprisonment if found guilty, based on Colorado law, as reported by ABC.
Sigg's father, Rob, released a statement overnight.
"There are no words to express the sorrow that I and my family feel for their pain they are suffering" his statement said. "I ask also for your prayers and support for Austin's mother, whose courageous act ... unimaginably painful for any parent ... has put this tragedy on the path to resolution."
Jessica, who was in the fifth grade, disappeared on Oct. 5 on her way to school, one mile away. After a massive search, her body was found Oct. 10 miles away from her home in a park in Arvada, Colorado, police reported.
Join the Conversation