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Police: Suspect in Iowa State golf star's slaying had urge to 'rape and kill'

Arozamena was found dead Monday morning at a golf course in Iowa. A 22-year-old man has been charged with her murder.
Credit: Des Moines Register
Celia Barquin Arozamena

The man accused of killing an Iowa State University golf star Monday will remain in jail on a $5 million cash bond, a judge said Tuesday morning.

The victim, Celia Barquin Arozamena, suffered "several stab wounds to the upper torso, head and neck," Ames, Iowa, police said in a criminal complaint.

Collin Daniel Richards is charged with first-degree murder in Barquin Arozamena's death. He made his initial appearance at the Story County Courthouse in Nevada at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It lasted only minutes.

At the appearance, Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said authorities believe Richards to be homeless and said the crime is believed to be "a random act of violence."

"The state believes him to be a flight risk, also believes him to be a danger to the community," she said.

The judge granted Reynolds' bond request. If convicted of first-degree murder, Richards will face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The judge set Richards' preliminary hearing for 1 p.m. on Sept. 28.

Police complaint reveals crime details

An Ames police complaint says officers responded to the Coldwater Golf Links at 10:24 a.m. Monday for a report of a possible missing female. At 11:03 a.m. officers were informed that a body, identified as Barquin Arozamena, had been found in a pond near where her belongings were found.

Police said they determined on scene that Barquin Arozamena suffered “several stab wounds to the upper torso, head and neck.”

A 1:35 p.m., police were searching the area when they saw a man, who is an acquaintance of Richards and is not named in the complaint, leaving the golf course and a nearby walking trail, the complaint states. When police first spoke to him, the man made a comment to the effect of “What did he do to her?” the complaint states.

In a later interview with police, the man identified Richards as an acquaintance who had recently stayed in the same area where the man was temporarily living. The man said when he and Richards were walking on a trail near the golf course in the last few days, Richards “had made a statement to the effect of having an urge to rape and kill a woman,” according to the complaint.

Police said the temporary residence where Richards and the man were staying consists of two tents across from the golf course.

While officers were in the area, Richards approached them and police saw Richards "had several fresh scratches on his face consistent with fighting," the complaint states. Police said he also appeared to be trying to conceal a deep laceration on his left hand.

In an interview with police at the Ames police station, Richards said he had stayed with another man that day, according to the complaint. Officers said they found that man at his home, which was near the golf course and camp.

The second man told police Richards arrived at his home "and had appeared disheveled and covered in blood, sand and water." The man said Richards bathed at his home and left with his clothes in a black backpack, the complaint states.

While searching the backpack, police found two pairs of shorts that tested positive for the presence of blood, the complaint states. Police also found a knife which they said had been in Richards' possession before he gave it to two other witnesses.

Those two witnesses, none of whom are named in the complaint, were driving Richards to Jefferson, Iowa, before he asked them to return to the camp so he could get his tent, police said.

When they saw a large police presence near the tent, the witnesses told Richards they couldn't drop him off there, police said. A short time later he was found by officers on foot.

Richards was not a student at Iowa State, and had never registered for classes there, according to a spokeswoman from the school.

In a news release, Iowa State head women's golf coach Christie Martens called Barquin Arozamena a "beautiful person who was loved by all her teammates and friends."

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