Jodi Lynn Carrigg, 36, was raised in the Denver Metro area, graduated from Heritage High, married twice. A poet, she loved plants, animals and small children.
She finally learned she suffered from bipolar disorder and began therapy. Officially homeless, she sought and received a Pell Grant to go into veterinary training.
“Jodi did a great job taking care of herself,” recalled her mom, Nancy Carrigg. Women in groups liked her. She could get them laughing.
On June 9, 1996, she was strangled by an acquaintance who stuffed her body in a hotel closet with a mattress and set fire to it. He was not tried for her murder but is serving time for another. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless dedicated a day to her memory during a conference.