An extensive search brought about the discovery that the body had been buried in a sand draw, and also the horse and saddle. Cochran, it appeared, had gone to a nearby house and borrowed a spade, and when he returned it there was no one at home. He had entered the house, secured some writing materials, and made several attempts at writing a bill-of-sale before he had succeeded in getting one in proper shape to suit him. He had attempted to destroy the unsatisfactory efforts by burning them, but there were some fragments left, which were secured. He had then taken the herd, and milled it about on the sand, where he had buried the man, horse and saddle. A subsequent rain had also further obliterated the place, and washed out many of the tracks.

There was a question as to whether the murder had been in Colorado or Nebraska, and the surveyors had to be called out, to definitely locate the line. From their reports, and the evidence at hand it was determined that the crime had been committed in Colorado, and the body dragged some distance, and buried in Nebraska. This surveyor party was at work when some of Scotts Bluff county people were on their way to Colorado to pick spuds, among whom were William P. Young and Antoine Hiersche.

Cochran was never tried for the murder. He was tried for cattle stealing, convicted and given forty-five years in the penitentiary at Canyon City. After about twenty years penal servitude, he was paroled on account of being tubercular, and if yet living, is still at large.