The murders of two Littleton teens remain unsolved.

Twenty years ago, the murder of two high school sweethearts at a local Subway shop rocked a community already shattered by the Columbine High School shooting only 10 months prior. The case has never been solved, nor has it been forgotten. The unsolved murder of Stephanie Hart-Grizzell, 16, and Nick Kunselman, 15, is one of the state’s most prolific unsolved cases.

Just this past week, an increase in the reward was offered. The reward is now $12,000, according to the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office and Metro Denver Crime Stoppers, with a large contribution from the Subway Franchise World Headquarters.

Information can be submitted by calling (720)-913-7867 or online. The tip line is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and tipsters are encouraged to report anything they know, no matter how small it may seem.

“Whether a case has been unsolved for days or decades, we are determined to help bring justice for victims and their families. We are hopeful that the increased reward in this case will generate new tips and ultimately bring closure to the family and the community. We are grateful to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Subway Franchise World Headquarters for their partnership in this case.” - Board of Directors, Metro Denver Crime Stoppers in an official statement.

Hart-Grizzell and Kunselman knew each other in middle school and were high school sweethearts who attended Columbine High School. Nick worked at the Subway sandwich shop a few miles from campus and Stephanie visited him there while he closed up the store for the night late on February 13, 2000. The sophomores died together in the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, when an unknown individual entered the store and shot and killed the two. An employee later drove by and saw the lights still on just before 1 a.m., and discovered the two murdered teenagers behind the counter.

Over the years, a few leads have surfaced. Investigative officials described the suspect as a white man about 5-foot-7, about 150-170 pounds with blondish hair, though a slightly different description was given by another witness. Though suspects have been considered, false confessions have been made and thousands of tips have come in over the years, no arrests have ever been made.

Investigators have never publicly released all the information surrounding that night. Was it a robbery? A grudge? A random act? No one knows. 

The inseparable young couple was laid to rest together, side by side, in the Olinger Mount Lindo Cemetery in Morrison. A bench sits on the gravesite, with “Together in Peace Forever” engraved upon it.

The Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is a charity organization that works to assist law enforcement agencies, to pay rewards, and generate anonymous tips to keep the greater Metropolitan area safe.

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.