A cold case from 1972 in Vernal, Utah, where Gregory Dahl Nickell was murdered and his date abducted and raped, has finally been solved thanks to advancements in DNA technology.
In 1972, the peaceful community of Vernal, Utah was shaken by a violent crime that remained unsolved for over 50 years. Gregory Dahl Nickell, 21, was murdered, and his 18-year-old date was abducted and raped. Investigators suspected the course of events but lacked concrete evidence for decades. Recently, advancements in DNA technology have led authorities to two men they believe committed the crimes, one of whom is still alive.
Marvin Capps, a lifelong resident of Vernal, remembers the impact of the crime vividly. 'Vernal was a quiet, peaceful town, and it's the first murder I can ever remember,' he recalled. It was November 1972, the weekend after Thanksgiving, when Nickell took his date to a popular lookout spot. Their evening took a terrifying turn when a stranger approached their car, claiming his vehicle had broken down on a nearby highway and requesting assistance. The man then shot Nickell.Nickell's date, who wishes to remain anonymous due to the trauma she endured, was blindfolded for much of her captivity. She was able to provide investigators with limited details about her attackers. After Nickell was shot, the suspects took him and his date to a remote area miles away, set his car on fire with him inside, and raped the young woman twice before releasing her hours later. Detectives searched the area for days, following every lead they had. But without sufficient evidence, the case went cold. The breakthrough finally came in 2020. After decades of dead ends, detectives identified one of the men involved in the crime. However, he had died the year before, in 2019. Advancements in DNA testing, technology unavailable in 1972, played a key role in solving the case. Despite the technological limitations of the time, investigators preserved crucial evidence, which eventually allowed them to identify the second suspect, who is still alive. For many who lived through the tragedy, the breakthrough brings a sense of relief and closure
DNA Technology Cold Case Murder Vernal Utah 1972 Crime
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