Christine Gallegos' murder case solved after 40 years

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- The Salt Lake City Police Department has announced that Christine Gallegos' lawsuit has been closed, 40 years to the time of her murder.

Ricky Lee Stallworth, who lived successful Layton astatine the clip of the murder, moving arsenic an airman astatine Hill Air Force Base, has been identified arsenic the antheral who killed Christine Gallegos.

"I privation to convey the dedication of the detectives, besides the advances successful forensic exertion that are allowing these acold cases to beryllium solved," SLCPD Chief Brian Redd stated. "I conscionable privation to reiterate our committedness to solving acold cases."

Christine Gallegos was past seen successful 1985

Detective Cordon Parks provided a recap of the probe into Christine Gallegos' murder.

Christine Gallegos was 18 erstwhile she was past seen live astatine 10:30 p.m. connected May 15, 1985. Christine Gallegos told her household that she was hitchhiking downtown to enactment astatine a bar. She was past seen live connected 40000 West successful Kearns.

One hr aft she was past seen, witnesses heard 2 gunshots successful the country of 1384 Jefferson Street successful Salt Lake City. Christine Gallegos was determination for respective hours earlier being recovered by a passerby astatine 3:50 a.m. connected May 16.

Gallegos was recovered dead, severely beaten, stabbed, and changeable doubly successful the head. Officers judge that the idiosyncratic who picked her up drove her to a distant country and killed her aft she fought back.

The constabulary had nary suspects astatine the time. Forensic investigating implicit the years of probe besides yielded nary suspects, but biologic grounds was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) successful 2010.

DNA grounds leads to the truth

In 2023, investigative genealogy was recommended by the Utah Cold Case Review Board and the State of Utah Crime Lab. According to Parks, SLCPD contacted a DNA laboratory successful Texas -- Othram -- and sent them evidence.

Othram developed a illustration of the fishy based connected DNA and genealogy. Several months aft the illustration was developed, the laboratory called and said that they had developed a apt suspect.

Ricky Lee Stallworth was 27 astatine the clip of Christine Gallegos' murder. He was a U.S. Air Force airman astatine Hill Air Force Base successful Layton, Utah.

"Law enforcement officials ne'er halt trying to find answers and it doesn't substance however aged a lawsuit is, oregon whether it was hopeless successful the past, determination is exertion present contiguous that is capable to get answers for families," Kristen Mittelman, Chief Development Officer for Othram, is quoted successful a merchandise from the company. “Something similar this is heartbreaking for a household to spell through, but it’s important for them to cognize the truth."

SLCPD spoke with 3 of his 4 ex-wives, spoke with a friend, and yet made interaction with a earthy lad of Stallworth. That lad provided a voluntary DNA swab for the investigation, Parks said.

The Bureau of Forensic Services, alongside Othram, was capable to find that his DNA was a lucifer to the biologic accusation recovered connected Gallegos' body.

"We missed being capable to speech to him and interrogation him by a substance of months," Parks stated.

Police investigators determined that Stallworth murdered Christine Gallegos successful 1985. Unfortunately, Stallworth died of earthy causes successful July 2023, lone months earlier constabulary recovered his name.

"Today, we tin accidental with certainty that helium was liable for the decease of Christine Gallegos," Parks concluded.

Steve O'Camb, a Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) researcher with the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS), shared the value of the solution of this case. SAKI investigators got progressive successful the lawsuit erstwhile the inaugural came to Utah successful 2015 and began investigating aged intersexual battle kits from Utah transgression cases.

"In this case, we don't person a fishy to enactment handcuffs connected oregon anyone to charge, but we anticipation that our efforts person conscionable fixed immoderate measurement of justness to the victim, her family, who is with america today, and their friends and radical who loved her," O'Camb stated.

O'Camb shared that the SAKI inaugural assisted successful solving the formerly acold lawsuit homicide of Gregory Dahl Nickell successful Uintah County. Five acold cases person been solved by the inaugural brought to Utah successful 2015.

Mother of Christine Gallegos expresses her gratitude

"I conscionable cognize that I definite miss this miss each day," Leah Gallegos, Christine's mother, said. "I wonderment astir the kids she would have, and I ticker different radical with their daughters, their grandkids."

Leah Gallegos has spent 40 years waiting for an reply from police. In a 2021 interrogation with ABC4, she expressed her frustration that it was taking truthful agelong for immoderate progress. Today, she expressed gratitude.

"She was outgoing, she was sweet, she was successful emotion with her fiancé, Troy," Leah Gallegos stated. "They took truthful overmuch distant erstwhile they took her away."