Affidavit details gruesome details of teen's attack on older Lefthand Canyon woman

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – The teenager accused of beating a Lefthand Canyon nearly to death told authorities he was trying to knock the woman out in the attack, according to court documents finally released Monday.

The Boulder Daily Camera had obtained the arrest affidavit for Jeffrey Collins, 16, last week but had been barred from releasing its details by a judge. That judge, Boulder District Court Judge Maria Berkenkotter, reversed her decision to seal the affidavit, but had put a week-long hold on her ruling.

The document details what led up to the attack on 71-year-old Katie Kulpa. Collins told investigators he was drunk and stoned during the attack, which happened after Kulpa picked up Collins and two other teens who were hitchhiking in the area.

Collins asked another young man to help him attack Kulpa and steal her car, but the other person denied to help, according to the affidavit.

But as they sat around a fire, Kulpa came up to tell the teens she’d found them a place to stay, which is when Collins allegedly hit her hard in the head with a fire poker. The affidavit says he took “a full swing” when he hit her.

The young man and other teen with Collins fled to a nearby home and called 911.

Collins remains held on a $1 million bond and is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault on an at-risk person and two sentencing enhances for the attack being a crime of violence.