EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — The man accused of strangling to death 19-year-old Kara Nichols and burying her body in a horse grave on his parent’s property in Black Forest nearly 10 years ago was in court on Wednesday, Feb. 23.

The 46-year-old Joel Hollendorfer waived his right to a speedy trial in an El Paso County District courtroom. He faces first-degree murder in connection to Nichols’ disappearance in 2012.

“I really can’t wrap my head around it. I haven’t really slept. I’m really shocked and upset,” Micki Mitchell said.

One of Nichols’s childhood friends said she didn’t sleep for days after the announcement of her remains being found earlier this month. Although Mitchell moved to Florida after middle school, she kept in touch with Nichols and saw her three months before she was reported missing in October of 2012.

“People that were close to her are going to remember her forever,” Mitchell said. “I wish we had more pictures even when we were little and then growing up. But I didn’t have a phone, she didn’t have a phone–we just lived in the moment.”

She grew up with Nichols in Colorado Springs and keeps the memories of their friendship close to her heart.

“One thing that comes to my mind is how compassionate she was she had a lot of friends. She always stayed in touch. Florida and Colorado–which aren’t close to each other–and she always made time to talk to me,” Mitchell cried. “I will always appreciate that.”

“They would have sleepovers at her house. Her mom would make homemade ice cream, and they would do crafts,” Jennifer Mitchell Dixon remembered.

Dixon is Mitchell’s mom who would pick the girls up from Girl Scout Brownies when they were younger. Over the years, she would post updates and search for answers online.

“I would post it on my Facebook randomly, because between my business and I know a lot of people in different states, I figured, somebody knows somebody who knows something,” Dixon said.

Three months before Nichols disappeared, the long-time friends met at the Citadel Mall.

“We caught up like we saw each other yesterday, and nothing seemed different with her. It seemed like good ol’ times together,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has held onto a gift with Nichol’s name on it over the years and has been a constant reminder of her kindness.

“She was like, ‘I wanted to give you this because you just got a chihuahua, and I know you love chihuahuas’ and so she gave this to me,” Mitchell said. “It is something that is even more special to me now, and I’ll always keep it.”

This family in Florida would like to make it to part of the trial to show support for the Nichols family and also want to visit when a celebration of life is scheduled.

In court on Wednesday, the judge ordered that law enforcement be prohibited from having any contact with Hollendorfer that isn’t coordinated through his attorneys.

Law enforcement officers were also told to preserve any information regarding this case such as texts, notes and emails in order to provide them to the defense in discovery.

Hollendorfer’s next court date is Wednesday, April 6, at 2:30 p.m.