Jimmy Leroy West

West is currently being held in the Boulder County Jail on a $10 million bond while awaiting trial for the brutal murder of 19-year old Zaria Hardee. Prior to his arrest on January 30, 2025, West was homeless. Zaria Hardee was also living on the streets of Boulder, where she was victimized and ultimately killed after her boyfriend, Nickolas Shepherd (24), allegedly sold her to Jimmy West (52) for drugs on July 10, 2024. Shepherd has not been charged.

Zaria was 19-years old; Jimmy West is 52.

Zaria was 4' 11" and weighed 87 pounds at the time of her death; West is 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds, according to a driver's license that was issued in 2025.

Watch the full press conference here: The Arrest of Jimmy West in Boulder

Boulder Reporting Lab article by Brooke Stephenson:  

Boulder police arrest suspect in the murder of 19-year old Zaria Hardee