Unsolved: The Pursuit to Solve a Valentine's Day Murder

Valentine's Day of 2000 was marked by a tragedy that would haunt Littleton, Colorado, when two young lives were abruptly ended in an unsolved murder at a local Subway restaurant. With the shadow of Columbine still looming over the town, we delve into the intricate details of the case that has left investigators chasing shadows for over two decades. As we unravel the stories of the lives lost and the community's lingering pain, we also highlight the recent increase in the reward for information, and how a single tip could bring long-awaited closure to a case that has eluded justice.

We appreciate all of our listeners who make our journey into the darkest corners of true crime and the paranormal possible. It's your stories and suggestions that drive us, so keep them coming. Your bravery isn't just inspiring—it's the very heartbeat of our show. It's the courage to stand out and the caution in our steps that keep us connected and empower us to face adversity together. 

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Chapters

• 0:51 Unsolved Subway Murders and Seeking Justice
• 8:27 Thanking Listeners and Requesting Submissions

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:52

how operations will affect the life of modern times. Welcome to Dark Crossroads podcast, hosted by Roxanne Fletcher. This is your stop for all things true crime and paranormal. From the infamous story of the New Bedford Highway Killer to the chilling tale of the Black-Eyed Children, dark Crossroads podcast is a truly deep dive into the stories that frighten and fascinate you. All links to the show will be provided in this episode's description, and don't forget to let us know what you think of today's episode.

Speaker 1: 1:48

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Speaker 1: 2:55

Almost 25 years ago now, a teenage couple was found dead in a subway restaurant on Valentine's Day, and their killer has never been found. Nicholas Kuntzelman, who was 15 years old, and Stephanie Hart Grisel, who was 16, were found dead in the subway shop in Littleton, colorado, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2000. An unnamed employee who was driving past the sandwich shop noticed that the lights were on when the establishment should have been closed down. When they went inside, they found the two teens were dead behind the counter. An investigation revealed that the pair had been shot by one or more intruders that night. Nicholas had been working at the subway shop and was supposed to close down the restaurant at the end of the night, and Stephanie was waiting for his shift to end. Within the past few years, authorities have increased the reward money up to $100,000 for any pertinent information regarding this case. The Jefferson County Sheriff Department at the time stated with this significantly increased reward, people who haven't come forward with their information will be much more likely to do so. Now we are continuing our diligent work to bring justice to Nicholas and Stephanie. Metro Denver Crime Stoppers said that they were able to increase the reward due to anonymous contributions, as well as a $10,000 donation from Franchise World Headquarters LLC, which was the parent company of Subway.

Speaker 1: 4:30

Nicholas and Stephanie were both students at Columbine High School and part of a community that was still reeling from the mass shooting that had occurred less than a year before. The pair, who had been friends since middle school, bonded after the Columbine shooting and were coming through it so good and they were so happy, stated Stephanie's mother. Following the murders, police released a description of a suspect a white man between the ages of 16 and 20 years old, 5'7, weighing between 150 to 170 pounds and had light blonde hair. Police also investigated allegations that the killings may have been drug related, due to rumors that the store was used for drug deals after hours and that nothing was stolen from the scene. But those leads never panned out.

Speaker 1: 5:22

On the night of the killings, stephanie and her mother had been relaxing at home. Her mother did not know that her daughter had snuck out until she realized that her car was missing the following morning. Soon after realizing this, she turned on the news and saw reports of a shooting at a local subway shop, and footage of the scene showed Stephanie's car in the parking lot. She then received the devastating news that her daughter was one of the victims and she has been hoping for justice ever since this day. She has stated I thought we would have the answers, like I say, within the first day or two.

Speaker 1: 5:59

Many years later, it's been a very long time I certainly never thought I would still be asking for help and for resolution to this. You have to bury your two best friends and you don't know why, and somebody else took them away from you. You know, I think it's the hardest thing. A question that has often been asked about this case is why would somebody want to kill these two kids and what could possibly be gained by killing them? You just go on for the hope that you're fighting for her to get the justice, and it would just mean the world if we could, after all these years, get some justice. Anybody with any information regarding this case is asked to please submit a tip by contacting the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers by phone at 720-913-STOP or by submitting an anonymous tip online at Metro Denver Crime Stoppers. I don't know the exact motive to what made this person or persons enter into this subway and murder Stephanie and Nick, something that we're definitely always looking at and trying to figure out. All right, guys. So thank you so much for hanging out again today.

Speaker 1: 7:20

For more details on the podcast or the cases that we covered, then head on over to the website wwwdarkcrossroadspodcastcom, where we have all of the episodes, information about the podcast merch and also a blog covering every single case and it going into more description, including links to all the places that you need to make phone calls to or resources regarding the case. You can also find us on most social media platforms. Don't forget to like, share rate, review, subscribe. Wherever you're listening to us. You can subscribe to the podcast. There is a link in all episodes in the notes that will send you to our subscription page and with that you will get bonus content, discount on future merch and a lot of other extra goodies and kind of behind the scenes information. So every single donation, through the subscription and any other place, goes straight to the podcast. It helps fund research and it really helps us out to keep this podcast going.

Speaker 1: 8:27

So before I go, I just want to thank all of my listeners for your continued support and for sending in cases that you wanted covered and stories that you wanted read on the podcast. We truly accept all stories scary, paranormal, funny. Anything that you want read or you want me to know, send it in. And any cases that you want covered, please send in. You can email those to dot crossroads podcast at gmailcom. And, with all of this said, please don't forget to be weird, stay different and don't trust anyone.