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Brewing Empire Heir Ransomed: Adolph Coors III Pt. 2

Scams, Money, & Murder

Thu Nov 20 2025

Summary

Podcast Summary: Scams, Money, & Murder

Episode: Brewing Empire Heir Ransomed: Adolph Coors III Pt. 2
Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Carter Roy
Source: Crime House Original (PAVE Studios)

Episode Overview

This episode continues the story of the infamous 1960 kidnapping and murder of Adolph Coors III, heir to the Coors Brewing Company empire. Hosts Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy guide listeners through the aftermath of his disappearance, the feverish manhunt led by the FBI (dubbed the biggest since the Lindbergh baby case), and the eventual pursuit and capture of suspect Joseph Corbett Jr. This narrative exposes how greed, opportunity, and betrayal collided in a single, devastating crime, irrevocably altering the lives of both victim and perpetrator.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance and Early Investigation

Timestamp: 05:29–12:00

Background: By 1960, Adolph Coors III (“AD”), CEO of Coors Brewing Co., had secured his dream life on a ranch near Morrison, Colorado.
Event: On February 9, 1960, AD fails to show up at work; his car is found abandoned on Turkey Creek Bridge with his lucky baseball cap, an unknown fedora, tire tracks, and blood at the scene.
Family Reaction: The family is devastated, especially AD’s wife, Mary, forced to comfort their four children with little hope.
- Quote (Carter Roy, 07:41): "Mary tried to assure them everything would be okay, but her words rang hollow. The truth was, they might never see their father again."
Discovery: Blood evidence at the scene, but due to poor recordkeeping, it couldn't be immediately confirmed as AD's.
Ransom Note: The following day, a ransom note demanding $500,000 (over $5.5 million today) arrives, with strict instructions and a warning to avoid law enforcement.
Tension: Despite the ransom note’s warning, the FBI becomes deeply involved, and the Coors brothers run the brewery as if nothing had happened to prevent panic among staff.
Eyewitness Clues: Neighbors recall strange noises and a yellow 1951 Mercury loitering in the area. Investigators begin the search for this vehicle.

2. The FBI Zeroes in on a Suspect

Timestamp: 12:00–18:19

Suspect Unveiled: Investigators find the Mercury registered to “Walter Osborne,” who mysteriously vacated his Denver apartment the day after the abduction.
- Evidence: Partially burned handcuff boxes, a chain hidden in a paint bucket, and a single fingerprint become major clues.
Vehicle Found: The suspect vehicle is discovered, torched, in Atlantic City, linking Osborne to the case through the car’s serial number.

3. Joseph Corbett Jr.: The "Mystery Boy"

Timestamp: 18:19–27:08

Identity Revealed: The fingerprint links “Walter Osborne” to Joseph Corbett Jr., who’d escaped from a minimum security prison years prior.
- Background: Corbett had killed before—admitting to the 1950 murder of a hitchhiker but claiming self-defense—and was diagnosed by psychiatrists as severely asocial and emotionally repressed.
- Quote (Carter Roy, 21:40): "Joe was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting to be caught and dragged back to prison. He knew he'd have to go far to outrun that feeling."
Ransom Plan Failure: Coors’s father raises the ransom and follows instructions, but the kidnapper never follows up. Months pass with no new leads.
FBI Manhunt: Corbett is placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List. Over one million flyers and wide-scale media alerts are issued.

4. Evidence, Discovery, and Arrest

Timestamp: 28:04–33:50

Break in the Case: Mud samples from the burned Mercury match those near AD's ranch, but the evidence remains circumstantial.
A Tragic Find: In September 1960, a local discovers personal effects belonging to AD and later, skeletal remains in a ravine. Forensic analysis confirms identity and cause of death—two gunshot wounds to the back.
- Quote (Carter Roy, 31:34): "After being exposed to the elements for so long, his remains were skeletal… the coroner determined the cause of death: shot twice in the back, probably at close range."
Corbett’s Capture: The FBI traces Corbett to Canada using banking records and tips from a former coworker. He is arrested in Vancouver, October 29, 1960.
- Quote (Carter Roy, 33:19): "After eight and a half months of searching, Joe Corbett Jr. was arrested in his rented room on October 29, 1960."

5. Prosecution, Conviction, and Aftermath

Timestamp: 33:50–37:00

Prosecution’s Theory: The prosecution crafts a case that Corbett, desperate for money to escape his past, meticulously planned and executed the kidnapping and murder.
- Timeline: Years of surveillance and planning culminate in a highway ambush when AD’s routine changes due to construction.
Trial & Verdict: After 13 days of testimony, Corbett is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Parole and Later Life: Changes in Colorado law make Corbett eligible for parole after ten years; he is released in 1980 and lives a quiet, reclusive life until his suicide in 2009.
Family Fallout: The Coors family, shattered, cuts off Mary and her children. AD’s son, Adolph IV, eventually leaves the family business to forge his own path.
- Quote (Carter Roy, 39:56): "With his untimely death, Ad gave his son a gift he'd never had—the freedom to choose his own path."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the burden of a legacy:
"But Beer wasn't AD's dream ... If it were up to him, he'd be a rancher, spending his days outdoors riding and raising horses. But he had a legacy to live up to, and saying no wasn't an option." — Carter Roy [00:50]
The cost of secrecy:
"There wasn't even a memo passed around informing the staff that their CEO had been taken hostage the day before." — Carter Roy [09:15]
On Corbett’s emotional landscape:
"Joe was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting to be caught and dragged back to prison. He knew he'd have to go far to outrun that feeling." — Carter Roy [21:40]
The impact of loss:
"Mary had never been particularly close to AD's parents, and it seemed like they took AD's absence as permission to distance themselves entirely, both emotionally and financially.” — Carter Roy [39:30]
Freedom and generational change:
"With his untimely death, Ed gave his son a gift he'd never had. The freedom to choose his own path." — Carter Roy [39:56]

Timeline of Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Description | Timestamps | |------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | The Disappearance | AD Coors III vanishes; evidence found at bridge | 05:29–12:00 | | The Investigation Begins | Ransom note, family reactions, early leads | 12:00–18:19 | | Corbett's Background | Suspect’s identity and troubled history | 18:19–27:08 | | Break in the Case | Murder evidence, body discovery, Canadian tip | 28:04–33:50 | | Arrest & Conviction | Capture, trial, verdict, and sentencing | 33:50–37:00 | | Aftermath | Parole, Coors family fallout, generational change | 37:00–41:50 |

Final Thoughts

The episode offers a sobering look at how greed and unresolved trauma intertwine, culminating in tragedy that ripples through generations. The hosts anchor the complex narrative in emotional moments, highlighting both the methodical pursuit of justice and personal devastations behind sensational headlines. In the end, the story underscores the limits of wealth and legacy when confronted by loss, grief, and the long shadow of violence.

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Transcript

Vanessa Richardson (0:01)

Hi Crime House community. It's Vanessa Richardson, and if you love digging into the most gripping true crime stories, then you need to listen to another Crime House original Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vien. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Sabrina and Corinne have been covering the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains and and this month they'll be diving into the paranormal. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Carter Roy (0:50)

This is crime house. We've all heard the saying, follow your dreams. Most of the time that's easier said than done because it's not always about how hard you work. Usually there are other factors at play, like timing and a little bit of luck. Adolph Coors iii, better known as ad, never had to worry about any of that. Unlike so many people, he was handed the keys to his destiny on a silver platter. As the grandson of the man who created the Coors Brewing Company, AD didn't have to climb his way to the top. He was born knowing he would be CEO one day. But Beer wasn't AD's dream. He couldn't even drink it because he was allergic. If it were up to him, he'd be a rancher, spending his days outdoors riding and raising horses. But he had a legacy to live up to, and saying no wasn't an option. It turned out following someone else's dream came with a hefty price tag. And in the end, AD paid for it with his own life. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. It's not just a saying, it's a means of survival. Because in the world we're entering, trust is a trap. And betrayal is often fatal. I'm Carter Roy and this is Scams, Money and Murder.

Vanessa Richardson (2:35)

And I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Thursday we'll explore the story of a money motivated crime gone wrong. Whether it's a notorious con, fraud, burglary, or even murder.

Carter Roy (2:47)

From the Archives of Crime House, the show Murder True Crime Stories and Killer Minds. These are some of our favorite cases that have kept us lying awake at night wondering if money didn't make the world go round, could all this have been avoided?

Vanessa Richardson (3:04)

And as always at Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Scams, Money and Murder. Wherever you get your podcasts, this episode.

Carter Roy (3:19)

Comes from the Archives of Murder True Crime Stories. This is the second of two episodes on the 1960 abduction and murder of Adolph Coors III in Morrison, Colorado. Last time I introduced you to the Coors family and explained how their small brewery became one of the biggest beer companies in the world. After surviving Prohibition and two world wars, Adolph Coors III was eventually named CEO. But just a few years into his tenure, he suddenly vanished. Today we'll follow the investigation that J. Edgar Hoover dubbed the largest manhunt since the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. With little to no evidence, agents desperately searched the country for Adolf and his captor. After months without any progress, the FBI honed in on a suspect. But bringing him to justice would come with its own set of challenges. All that and more coming.

Carter Roy (5:29)

By 1960, the Coors family were titans in the beer industry with a huge brewery in Golden, Colorado about 30 minutes from Denver. At 45 years old, Adolph Coors III, better known as AD, was the CEO and chairman of the board. For the most part, AD handled the business side of things while his two younger brothers managed the day to day operations. 44 year old Bill was the brewmaster and spokesperson and 43 year old Joe was in charge of another aspect of the business, Coors Porcelain, where they made ceramics products. At that point, Coors was one of the few family owned and operated breweries in the country. It was a great position to be in, but it also came with a lot of expectations. As CEO, AD was committed to growing the company and making his late grandfather proud Unlike some of his relatives though, Ad had interests outside of beer. Ed had recently finished construction on his dream home, a 480 acre ranch in Morrison, Colorado. There he and his wife Mary had plenty of room to raise their four kids. And Ad had space for his beloved horses. Plus, it was only about a 12 minute drive to the brewery. After decades of putting the family business first, 45 year old AD was finally leading the life he'd always wanted. And he'd never been happier. But on February 9, 1960, disaster struck and it threatened to destroy everything he'd worked for. That morning, Ad never showed up to work. After a few hours, the Coors family learned his car had been found abandoned on Turkey Creek Bridge just two miles from his house. By 1:15pm Bill, Joe and Mary were all on the scene with local officers. Along with his car, investigators found Ad's lucky baseball cap in the creek nearby. Not far from it was a fedora that no one recognized and another set of tire tracks leading away from the bridge. Based on all that, it seemed like AD hadn't been alone. Whoever was there had left in a hurry and taken Ad with them. They also noticed blood in the dirt along the edge of the bridge. Everyone was hoping for the best, but they had no way of knowing if Ad had been hurt and if so, how badly. The discovery kicked things into high gear because one thing was certain. It appeared he'd been taken against his will. The Jefferson county sheriff launched a large search operation. Between the deputies, G patrol men on horseback and Alpine rescue team, there were about 150 people combing every inch of the country countryside surrounding Turkey Creek Bridge. By early evening, there was still no sign of Ad. But there was one more clue. His glasses were found near the bridge. And while the search team continued to scour the area, forensics arrived at the bridge to analyze the blood that had been found. What looked like a few drops turned out to be a pool that had almost entirely soaked into the earth. Experts determined it was about a foot wide and 3 inches deep. It was nearly impossible for someone to lose that much blood and survive. When Mary learned about it, she was distraught. Not just for herself, but for her four young children. Once they were home from school, she sat them down and explained what had happened. Mary tried to assure them everything would be okay, but her words rang hollow. The truth was, they might never see their father again. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially because at that point in the investigation, there were more questions than answers. Apparently there was no record of Ad's blood type anywhere, which Meant they couldn't confirm the blood at the scene was actually his. So for now, detectives continued to operate under the assumption that AD had been abducted but was still alive. Their suspicions seemed to be confirmed the following day. On the morning of Wednesday, February 10th, a Jefferson county investigator intercepted a letter bound for AD's ranch. It was a ransom note. The investigator immediately turned it over to the FBI, which had just taken over the case. Agents from the FBI Western Kidnap Squad dusted the envelope for prints and made copies. The original was sent to their Lab in Washington, D.C. for additional forensic analysis. According to the letter, A.D. was taken for ransom. His abductor promised not to hurt AD as long as the Coors family cooperated and met their demands. They wanted $500,000. That's more than 5.5 million in today's money. The note also included very specific details on how to proceed. They told the Corps to place an advertisement in the Denver Post for a tractor for sale. After that, they'd receive further details. Once the FBI had sent the original letter off for testing, they brought a copy over to the ranch where Mary, Joe and Bill were all gather. After talking it over, the FBI recommended that the family get the money together. As instructed, the Bureau would handle the trade from there. The whole thing made Mary incredibly nervous. The note warned not to get law enforcement involved. Yet here she was, surrounded by them. Still, she knew there was no denying the facts. Just a day after he was taken, news of AD's kidnapping was already a national story, and everyone knew the FBI was looking for him. But the remaining Corps men were determined to keep things as quiet as they could. When Joe and Bill showed up at the brewery that Wednesday, they didn't acknowledge what was going on. There wasn't even a memo passed around informing the staff that their CEO had been taken hostage the day before. Bill and Joe Simply divvied up AD's work and went on with business as usual. Meanwhile, the FBI continued to search tirelessly for ad. That same day, agents fanned out across the Turkey Creek Canyon area, knocking on every door in the hopes of getting more information. It wasn't long until they got a hit. One resident lived just a quarter mile away from the bridge. She reported hearing commotion coming from the direction of the bridge around 8:20 the previous morning. First there was shouting, and then a gunshot or possibly two shots close together. Other neighbors told similar stories. Unfortunately, no one saw anything. Not on that Tuesday morning anyway. But early on Monday, the day before AD went missing, two of these same neighbors spotted a strange car loitering around the bridge. It was a yellow 1951 Mercury sedan. Luckily, one witness remembered the first part of the license plate. This was 1960. Though they couldn't just type the numbers into a computer and get instant results. Hand checking the records at the Denver DMV took a while, but eventually agents had identified four Mercury's that might be a match. They tracked them down to various addresses across the city. But none of the first three cars were yellow. When they got to the fourth and final location, all they found was an empty apartment. Even so, it seemed like a promising lead. The car was registered to a man named Walter Osborne. According to the building manager, he'd unexpectedly moved out the morning of Wednesday, February 10, the day after AD went missing. He left behind a spotless studio apartment. Unfortunately, by the time the investigators arrived, the manager had gotten it professionally cleaned. Still, agents scoured the premises and found a few pieces of evidence. Before he left, Osborne had tried to incinerate some leather boxes. The manager thought they looked nice, so she pulled them out of the chute. When the agents took a look, they realized the boxes had contained handcuffs. Behind the building, detectives also discovered a chain hidden inside a five gallon paint bucket from the Benjamin Moore brand. The manager assumed it belonged to Osborne since he'd worked for the paint company. The most important piece of evidence was also on that bucket. A single fingerprint which detectives matched to Walter Osborne's driver's license application. The print itself was sent to FBI headquarters to check against their criminal records. Because this also had to be done by hand, there was no way to know how long it would take to get a result, if they did at all. The one thing they didn't find was the yellow Mercury. That's because it wasn't anywhere near Denver. It was across the country in Atlantic City, N.J. at 9:30pm on Feb. 17, a week after AD was last seen, the Atlantic City Fire Department responded to a fire at the city dump. The source turned out to be a vehicle, so the police were called in too. The interior was almost entirely destroyed, but the car remained mostly intact. It looked like a Mercury sedan. There was still some paint visible along the bottom, and it appeared to be yellow. And although the car didn't have any plates, the officers were able to read the serial number off the frame. They ran it through their system and eventually they got a hit. The car belonged to Walter Osborne of Denver, Colorado. By then, everyone knew AD Coors had been kidnapped and the FBI was looking for him. So as soon as they had a name, they the Atlantic City PD shared what they knew with the Bureau for the FBI. This confirmed what they already believed, that Osborne was their man. Now they just needed to find him.

Carter Roy (18:19)

Within days of the disappearance of 45 year old Adolph Coors III, the FBI had narrowed in on suspect Walter Osborne. By then, Osborne had already fled Colorado and his car was found burned in New Jersey. Agents knew that if they wanted to find ad, they needed to find Osborne too. But first they needed to learn exactly who they were dealing with. Although Osborne had lived in the same apartment building for four years, his neighbors didn't know much about him. In fact, many refer to him as mystery Boy and his former co workers at the Benjamin Moore Paint Company couldn't tell the agents much about him either. Apparently, he hadn't made any friends while he was there. For detectives, it seemed like Osborne only existed on paper. The truth wasn't far off. On March 5, nearly a month after Adkhors disappeared, the FBI lab in Washington D.C. got a match for the fingerprint found on the paint bucket behind Osborne's building. It turned out that Walter osborne was actually 31 year old Joseph Corbett Jr. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Joe was from a typical middle class family. His father was a journalist and and his mom stayed home to care for him and his older half brother. Joe was a friendly kid, active in many clubs and sports at school. But that changed as he got older. Puberty wasn't kind to Joe. He developed a lot faster than his peers and by the end of middle school he was almost six feet tall. He towered over most of his classmates. While he eventually settled into his height, that awkwardness and insecurity never quite left him. It didn't help that Joe was Very smart. It was just another thing that made him feel different. And it didn't make him a good student either. He couldn't seem to focus on topics that didn't hold his interest. Still, after graduating high school in 1946, 18 year old Joe was accepted to the University of Washington. The average score on the entrance exam that year was 50 out of 99. Joe got a 91. He declared physics as his major and was considering pre med. Even so, he struggled with the same issues that plagued him in high school. And before long, a family tragedy sent him over the edge. In the summer of 1949, Joe's mother fell from a balcony. Joe found her lying unconscious on top of an iron grate. She died in the hospital five days later. The loss sent him further into isolation. Even though Joe had just a year of college left, he dropped out and moved to San Francisco. There he worked whatever odd jobs he could find. The only thing his neighbors knew about him was that he owned several guns. It seems like the only person he kept in contact with was his father. Because in late December 1950, Joe Sr. Called the San Francisco police to perform a wellness check on his son. He hadn't heard from Joe Jr. In a few days. When officers arrived at the boarding house where Joe was living, his bags were packed and he was nowhere to be found. They spoke to the landlady who hadn't seen Joe in a few days either. However, she did jot down his license plate number at some point. When authorities looked it up, they were shocked by what they found. The plate matched a stolen vehicle that had been involved in a murder. Sometime around Christmas, a 20 year old man had been found dead in Marin county just north of San Francisco. He'd been shot twice in the back of the head. Police didn't find a murder weapon, but they did find a vehicle abandoned next to the body. After running the plates, authorities realized it had been stolen. They just didn't know by whom. Now they had a name and a suspect. 21 year old Joe Corbett Jr. A few days later, either in late December or early January 1951, authorities tracked him down in Beverly Hills. Initially, Joe denied any involvement in the murder. But detectives were one step ahead of him. While he was in custody, they'd searched his room in San Francisco and found a blood stained hat. When they presented the evidence to Joe, he knew he had to come clean. He admitted to stealing the car found near the Marin county victim. However, he insisted he was acting in self defense. According to Joe, he was on his way home from Target practice with. When he picked up a hitchhiker, the man, who was a sergeant stationed at the nearby Air Force base, invited Joe to join him for a night on the town. When Joe refused, the man got angry and went for Joe's gun. Apparently, Joe shot him before he could get to it. Joe dumped the body and ditched the stolen car. Then he walked into town where he stole another vehicle and fled to to Beverly Hills. Joe's story wasn't very convincing, especially since the victim had been shot in the back of the head. Still, the prosecutors offered him a deal. Joe pled guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a sentence of five years to life. The judge said it at 10 years and Joe was sent to San Quentin. During his sentence, Joe was examined by several psychiatrists, one of whom was hired by his father. Joe Sr. Desperately wanted to understand why his son had killed someone. The doctor determined he was asocial and emotionally repressed. After his first year in San Quentin, Joe was sent to a federal medical facility at Terminal island near Los Angeles. There, a psychiatrist diagnosed him as markedly schizoid, meaning he showed schizophrenic symptoms but didn't experience hallucinations or delusions. After three years of treatment, he was released to a minimum security facility in Chino, California. But he wasn't there long. In August of 1955, 26 year old Joe Corbett Jr. Escaped. No one knew where he'd gone until five years later when Walter Osborne appeared on the FBI's radar. Now the FBI knew their suspect's true identity. But they also knew that Ad Coors was in immediate danger. After the Coors family received the ransom note In February 1960, Ad's father, 76 year old Adolf Jr. Immediately gathered the $500,000. The FBI recorded the serial numbers of the bills and ran the advertisement in the Denver Post as instructed. Then they waited. But nothing happened. For well over a month, no one heard from AD Coors or his alleged abductor, Joe Corbett Jr. Finally, on March 30th, the FBI added Joe to their 10 most wanted list. Joe's photo and a list of his aliases were printed on over 1 million flyers and distributed across the country. Reports appeared in papers and on TV broadcasts. The FBI was pulling out all the stops. They wanted everyone in the country to know Joe's face. He might have escaped once already, but the next time he reappeared, the feds would be waiting to haul him back to jail.

Carter Roy (28:04)

Rated M for Mature. In March of 1960, the FBI was searching for 31 year old Joseph Corbett Jr. He was their top suspect in the kidnapping of 45 year old Adolph III, who disappeared near his home in Morrison, Colorado on February 9th. The Bureau had added Joe to their 10 most wanted list and distributed his photo across the country. They were confident they'd get a hit soon. But there was a problem. Even if they did find Joe, they didn't have any physical evidence linking him to the crime. But agents were working overtime to find some. They started with a car that was found torched in New Jersey. Although it was badly burned, the blaze hadn't reached the underside of the vehicle, which was caked with dried mud. Agents scraped off several samples and sent them to the FBI lab in Washington, dc. Meanwhile, back in Colorado, other agents collected more dirt. Samples were taken from the Turkey Creek Bridge and roads all around AD's property. In total, 457 specimens were sent to the lab. There, the chief forensic geologist performed a detailed analysis, comparing them to the ones collected from the car. There were several matches. It was damning but highly circumstantial. If the FBI wanted to take the case to trial, they were going to need a whole lot more evidence. It wouldn't be long until they found what they were looking for. In early September 1960, nearly seven months after A.D. went missing, a young pizza delivery man was out enjoying a hike on his day off. He'd chosen a secluded area near Sedalia, about 30 miles south of Denver. He was walking along when he noticed a pair of pants lying in the overgrowth near the trail. The delivery man stopped to pick them up and heard the pockets jingle. He reached inside and found some loose change and a set of keys. There was also a silver penknife inscribed with the initials AC iii. Like everyone else in Colorado, he knew Adolph Coors III was missing. As soon as he saw the inscription on the knife, the delivery man ran back to town and tracked down a police officer. The officer immediately called the FBI office in Denver. By evening, the area was swarming with agents. Over the next two days, 26 agents combed the hillside. They found a number of personal items that were identified as ads, including a tie clip shaped like a ski and some other pieces of clothing. Eventually, they found Ad himself at the bottom of an overgrown ravine. After being exposed to the elements for so long, his remains were skeletal. Even so, his dentist was able to confirm it was him, and a coroner determined the cause of death. There were two holes in the back shoulder area of his jacket with slight discoloration around them. Those corresponded with holes in his shirt as well as the right shoulder blade. According to the coroner, AD had been shot twice in the back, probably at close range. Despite everything, the Kor's family had been hoping for a miracle. Especially Mary. Now she had to find closure in a different way, because the FBI was upgrading their investigation from kidnapping to murder, and they were determined to bring Joe Corbett Jr. To justice. Ever since Joe was added to the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, the bureau had been receiving tons of tips. None had panned out so far, but that October, they received a call from Canada. Agents traveled to Toronto, where a man had contacted the local police. Apparently, he'd worked with Joe at a warehouse. Incredibly, he was still using the name Walter Osborne. Not only that, but he'd put his real address on the application. The FBI went to the boarding house, only to find that Joe had left nearly a month earlier. The landlord told them it was very sudden, so much so that he still had Joe's things in storage. Going through it, the agents found Joe's wallet with his Colorado driver's license still inside. Clearly, they were on the right track. The issue was they had no idea where Joe might have gone, so they decided to take a look at his bank account. Among the most recent transactions was a bad check written to a Hertz rental car in Winnipeg, Canada. They were on their way there when they got another tip from the manager of a rooming house in Winnipeg. This time, Joe had chosen a rather flashy getaway car, a red Pontiac convertible. The FBI put out an alert to law enforcement across the country, and eventually agents tracked Joe down in Vancouver, British Columbia. After eight and a half months of searching, Joe Corbett Jr. Was arrested in his rented room on October 29, 1960. Joe was extradited and sent back to Colorado, where he awaited trial in Golden's Jefferson County Jail. After several months, the proceedings began in March 1961, over a year after A.D. coors was taken hostage. Although Joe pleaded not guilty, the prosecution painted a convincing picture. After doing their research, they'd come up with their own theory on how and why Joe targeted Adkhors. According to them, after escaping from prison, Joe decided to leave California. He set his sights on Denver in the winter of 1955, where he began his new life as Walter Osborne. At first, he tried to embrace the fresh start, getting a job at Benjamin Moore. The problem was he still didn't feel free. Joe was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting to be caught and dragged back to prison. He knew he'd have to go far to outrun that feeling. His best bet was to get out of the country. For that, he'd need a lot more money than he made at the paint factory. And then he heard about the Coors family. It turned out the heir to a multi million dollar fortune lived right there in Denver. The idea formed instantly. Kidnap AD Coors and get a ransom big enough to go wherever he wanted. While the idea came quickly, the plan would take time and patience. So Joe watched and waited. He followed AD and learned his patterns and routines. After a couple years, Joe was ready to make his move. But then, in 1958, AD moved to Morrison and Joe had to recalibrate. He continued to watch AD and figured out where his new ranch was. In the meantime, Joe also gathered supplies. He got leg irons, handcuffs, camping gear and a typewriter. By January 1960, things had fallen back in place. A section of the highway AD normally took to the brewery was shut down for construction. The detour led along winding, isolated country roads through an area called Turkey Creek Canyon. Along that road was a tiny bridge, the perfect spot for an ambush. The prosecution theorized that on the morning of February 9, Joe stopped AD on the bridge, possibly pretending to need help. AD likely got out of his car and approached Joe, who probably pulled out his weapon. There was a struggle and AD Was shot, losing a lot of blood very fast. Joe then loaded AD into his yellow Mercury and fled to the next county over. He raced up a secluded mountain trail near Sedalia, where he threw AD down an overgrown ravine, hoping no one would find his body or that he'd be long gone by the time they did. The prosecution presented a convincing argument. After 1313 days of testimony from FBI experts witnesses and AD's family. The jury was ready to deliberate. On March 29, 1961, 32 year old Joe Corbett Jr. Was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He was sent to the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canyon City, roughly 100 miles south of Denver. For 12 years, Joe was a model inmate. Then in 1973, the Colorado State legislature passed a statute that made any inmate eligible for parole after 10 years, even those who'd been sentenced to life. In 1979, 50 year old Joe Corbett Jr. Applied and was granted a hearing. There. Joe made the same argument his lawyers had during his trial. None of the evidence linked him directly to AD's murder. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The parole board seemed to agree. He was released on December 12, 1980, after five years of supervised parole. Joe was a free man. He settled in Denver once again, driving trucks for the Salvation Army. Until he retired, he lived the way he always had, quietly and mostly alone until 2009. That year, 80 year old Joe was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of undergoing treatment, he chose to die by suicide. The Coors family never publicly addressed Ad's murder. For Adolf Jr. And his two surviving sons, life and business continued as usual. After Ad's death, his brother Bill became chairman. He held the position until 2000 and retired from the company's boards three years later when he retired at 87 years old. But behind closed doors, the family was shattered. Mary had never been particularly close to Ad's parents, and it seemed like they took ad's absence as permission to distance themselves entirely, both emotionally and financially. After AD's death, Adolf Jr. Cut Mary and her children off from the family. Although the company paid her a $3,400 monthly pension worth about $30,000 today, AD would turn out to be the final Adolf Coors to helm the corporation. His son, Adolph Herman Joseph Coors iv worked for the company for a time. But he left in 1979, giving up business entirely to become an evangelical speaker. With his untimely death, Ed gave his son a gift he'd never had. The freedom to choose his own path. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is Scams, Money and Murder. If you enjoyed this episode, you can check out more just like it by Searching for Murder. True crime Stories. Wherever you get your podcasts, Scams, Money and Murder is a Crime House original. 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