Where are Kristin Durgan, Brian Folsom and Andrew Tanner now?

“Valley of the Damned: The Absent Father,” an Investigation Discovery documentary, chronicles the sad 2008 murder of Jim Durgan in Salida, Colorado. Before arresting his killers, the authorities did not have to search long. The documentary provides a comprehensive explanation of how events unfolded by meticulously separating the many layers of the case. We’ve got the information you need if you’re curious and want to learn more, including the perpetrator’s current whereabouts. So let’s just get started, shall we?

Jim Durgan

How did Jim Durgan die?

James Glenn “Jim” Durgan was born on December 19, 1970 in Salida, Colorado. He was a happy man who enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting. In 1990, he crossed paths with Kristin T. Durgan in Phoenix, Arizona, thanks to a mutual friend. On July 3, 1992, Kristin and Jim were married in Las Vegas. They returned to Salida in 1998, with Jim stating that they “wanted to establish some roots.” He had a lucrative telecommunications profession, earning about $90,000 annually, the show claimed.

Jim tried to return home on the weekends to spend time with his wife and children, Andrew and Elisabeth, but the job forced him to work from home all week. He also had a stepson named Nicholas Ayers. Fremont County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a call from Kristin on July 11, 2008, stating that her husband was missing.

Jim’s car was discovered abandoned by authorities when they began searching for him in the Lone Pine Recreational Area on the Fremont County border. Police discovered a body in the Arkansas River on July 19, 2008. The body was now bloated, disfigured and unrecognizably human. Dental records were used by the medical examiner to determine that Jim’s body was his. A blunt head injury and two gunshot wounds to the skull were also noted in his postmortem report.

Who Killed Jim Durgan?

As soon as Kristin Durgan presented a very disturbing account of her marriage to Jim, the detectives started looking into her. According to the program, Kristin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years after her marriage and also had a gambling addiction. To keep her away from casinos, the couple moved back to Salida for a number of reasons. However, the program said Kristin had discovered a casino in Cripple Creek and frequented it until her debt spiraled out of control and her husband discovered her there.

The show claims that Jim has 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 house to prevent their finances from collapsing. The program also claimed that Jim discovered his wife was having an affair when he returned home in March 2008. It was the breaking point for him. After that, Jim left home and moved to Wyoming, where he was dating a woman and planning to marry her.

The divorce between Jim and Kristen was said to be amicable. Jim continued to visit the kids on the weekends, but he slept in a Caon City motel. Andrew Tanner, Kristin’s boyfriend, had moved in with him, he found. Kristin was forced to work at a nearby pizza parlor when Jim stopped providing her with extra money. There she met Andrew, a delivery man from the restaurant. When the police checked Andrew, they found that he had previously been convicted of crimes. They also learned that Jim was concerned about Andrew having guns when his kids were around.

Andrew was brought in for questioning on July 22, 2008. He was hesitant at first, but soon began acting guilty during interrogation until he finally claimed his right to a lawyer. While they had to let him leave, the officers continued to question Andrew. To find suspicious nighttime calls, some after 1 AM the night Jim disappeared, they searched his phone records. The calls were made to Brian Folsom, a paroled person who used meth and had a history of mental health problems.

Police soon discovered further connections after learning that Brian had previously worked for Andrew’s company. In addition, he had a long criminal history. During the interrogation, Brian collapsed and admitted that he was involved in Jim’s murder. He alleged that Andrew gave him money on July 10, 2008 to kidnap Jim from the Lone Pine Recreation Area and take him to the isolated Dirty Gulch region of Fremont County, close to Cotopaxi. With telephone wires, Brian tied Jim’s hands to a tree, taped his eyes and mouth shut, and tied Jim to the tree.

Then, according to Brian, he returned to Andrew, who later returned to shoot Jim and dispose of his body. Kristin reached out to say she had information about her boyfriend Andrew while the police were analyzing all of this material. She claimed on August 28, 2008 that Andrew killed Jim out of jealousy. However, the police had discovered her lies. Jim’s girlfriend in Wyoming said he hadn’t tried to reconcile with her, despite Kristin’s initial claim.

Police also discovered that Kristin would win nearly $500,000 if Jim died before the final court decision of their divorce was handed down. When confronted with all these details and Brian’s confession, Kristin collapsed and admitted that it was she who had used their children as bait to lure Jim into the Lone Pine Recreational Area and hinted at Andrew to kill her husband. In 2008, Kristin, Brian and Andrew were detained and charged with murdering Jim.

Where are Kristin Durgan, Brian Folsom and Andrew Tanner today?

On July 10, 2009, after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping, Brian Folsom was sentenced to 48 years in prison. In April 2014, he applied for a post-conviction waiver, but the request was denied. The 43-year-old is being held at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Crowley County, Colorado, where he is housed in a cell. His expected date to be considered for release is August 20, 2040, according to his prison records.

In September 2009, Andrew Tanner was found guilty of first degree murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and violent crimes. He was given a life sentence with no chance of parole. The 36-year-old is currently serving his sentence in a cell at the Limon Correctional Facility in Lincoln County, Colorado, according to official court records.

In April 2009, Kristin pleaded guilty to 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 her prison records, her predicted date of eligibility for parole is March 6, 2043.