The adopted son who shot his father and disposed of him in Mirror Lake Recreation Area, Wyoming, two years ago was sentenced Friday to 24 years in prison, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office reports.
Someone found a body wrapped in a tarp July 4, 2024, near Mirror Lake off Highway 130. The area was closed to visitors that weekend as law enforcement investigated.
Authorities soon identified the dead man as James Bitner, 56, of Colorado, and reported that he had a bullet hole in the back of his skull.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Nearly one year later on July 28, 2024, James Bitner’s adopted son Jaymz Jordan Bitner, then 19, was charged with second-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body and solicitation to commit tampering with a human body, according to the Gilpin County District Attorney’s Office.
Jaymz Bitner ultimately pled guilty to second-degree murder, says a Monday statement by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
He was sentenced Friday to 24 years in prison, the statement adds.
Eviction
According to witness testimony, the killing happened after an argument in which Jim Bitner threatened to evict Jaymz from the home, leading to Jaymz pulling out a gun and fatally shooting his father. However, Jaymz’s defense argued that the killing was the culmination of years of emotional abuse by his father, says the sheriff’s office’s statement.
At the time, Jaymz Bitner confided in a family friend that he had shot his father and needed help disposing of the body, the statement says. The friend refused to help, instead reporting the conversation to the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office.
That prompted a welfare check at the home, the sheriff’s office wrote.
Deputies conducted the check but found no signs of suspicious activity at that time.
Cellphone location data placed Jaymz traveling from Gilpin County to Mirror Lake on Nov. 16 and 17, 2023, where investigators believe he disposed of the body.
On the morning of Nov. 17, two witnesses encountered Jaymz at the entrance to Mirror Lake, says the statement. He told them that he and a friend were there to watch the sunrise.
While the witnesses had no knowledge of the crime, they later reported that the interaction felt unusual. After a press release was issued in this case, they came forward and, through a photo lineup, identified Jaymz as the man they had seen at Mirror Lake, says the post.
Additional cellphone records showed Jaymz leaving Mirror Lake, traveling through Saratoga, and then eastbound on Interstate-80 toward Cheyenne.
“During this time, he texted a friend in Colorado asking for help with gas money, offering to pay with silver coins,” reads the statement. “When the friend agreed and purchased fuel for him, Jaymz admitted that he had disposed of his father’s body after killing him.”
“The Albany County Sheriff’s Office acknowledges the tireless work of Detectives McKinney and Curtis, along with our partnering agencies, whose determination led to resolution in this case. We extend our condolences to the Bitner family and all those affected by this,” says the statement.
“We also want to thank the community for its support throughout this lengthy investigation. While justice has been served, this case underscores the importance of collaboration, persistence, and vigilance in bringing closure to victims and their families.”
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
