Police name killer in cold case murder, rape of a Utah teenager that went unsolved for 40 years

A slayer has yet been identified successful nan shocking rape and execution of a Utah teen that baffled investigators for 40 years, according to constabulary and reports. 

Christine Gallegos, 18, was past seen live hitchhiking to downtown Salt Lake City connected her measurement to activity connected May 15, 1985. Her assemblage was discovered early nan adjacent greeting by nan driver of a passing car, according to reports from nan Salt Lake Tribune at nan time. 

Investigators arrived and recovered a grisly segment successful nan vicinity now known arsenic Ballpark. 

Gallegos had been beaten, raped, stabbed and changeable doubly successful nan head. She reportedly put up a fierce struggle against her attacker earlier she was killed, police said. 

“She near a humor way up to nan gutter of Jefferson Street,” Detective Cordon Parks said astatine a property convention Thursday announcing that nan acold lawsuit was solved.

With nan thief of bully old-fashioned detective activity and cutting-edge familial technology, constabulary announced that nan apt slayer who evaded them for decades is Ricky Lee Stallworth — an Air Force vet who went connected to wed 5 times and person 3 children earlier his decease successful 2023.  

Stallworth, 27 astatine nan clip of Gallegos’ murder, was an airman astatine Hill Air Force Base successful May 1985 erstwhile nan teenage woman was killed. 

Before his death, Stallworth was reportedly known to constabulary for his alleged interactions pinch prostitutes on State Street, nan commercialized portion that runs done downtown Salt Lake City, successful nan past 2 years of his life.

During nan property convention past week, Parks posthumously dubbed him a “State Street stalker” for his late-night rendezvous.

Even though he was married, Stallworth was known to time off his location astatine nan dormant of nighttime and travel backmost early successful nan morning, constabulary said. He’d ne'er show his woman wherever he had been aliases what he had been doing, according to Parks.

Stallworth, whose sanction ne'er came up successful nan different rounds of investigations into nan execution complete nan years, died of earthy causes successful July 2023, truthful investigators were ne'er capable to mobility him – a frustrating imaginable for detectives.

“I wish we could person sewage to him earlier he died,” Parks said. 

Investigators don’t judge Stallworth and Gallegos knew each different earlier nan murder.

“Handcuffs, however, do not adjacent healing,” said Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steve O’Camb successful a property release. “The solution of Christine’s lawsuit is simply a premier example. We weren’t capable to apprehension a suspect, but hopefully we achieved immoderate measurement of justness for her and nan family and friends that loved her.”

One of Stallworth’s family members voluntarily provided a DNA sample to investigators that constabulary opportunity confirmed Stallworth was nan killer.

The DNA preserved from Gallegos’ lawsuit was sent to 1 of nan astir powerful familial sequencers successful nan world, Othram Labs, which recovered nan match.

Gallego’s mother Leah said a time hasn’t gone by since nan teen’s sadistic sidesplitting that she hasn’t thought of her daughter.

“I judge miss that woman each day,” she said astatine nan property conference.

Leah said that Christine was engaged to a man named Troy and that they had plans to person children together. 

“I wonderment astir nan kids she would have,” she said. “I watch different group pinch their daughters, pinch their grandkids.” 

She said was grateful to nan constabulary for yet solving nan case, but remained heartbroken astir her loss. 

“They took truthful overmuch distant erstwhile they took her away,” she said. 

An obituary that appears to beryllium for nan suspected killer — which spells his first sanction arsenic Rickie — described him arsenic a loving family man and pinch an adventurous spirit.

“Rickie traveled nan world during his very awesome and accomplished profession successful nan United States Air Force,” it read. “After retiring from nan Air Force, Rickie started a profession pinch HK Systems (now Dematic) and worked tirelessly until he had to discontinue for wellness reasons.”

It states that he is survived by his wife, 3 children and a big of grandkids and different relatives. Cops besides said Stallworth had 4 ex-wives during his lifetime.

One of Stallworth’s ex-wives challenged nan constabulary relationship and said that Gallegos’ existent slayer remains “out location somewhere.” 

“He’s dead,” nan ex-wife, who wished to stay anonymous, told The Post. “He ne'er had a chance for a trial. We’re going to conflict this.”

She said Stallworth was a loving, gentle hubby and hard-working engineer. The ex-wife said she was joined to Stallworth for 19 years and ne'er erstwhile did he ever raise his sound aliases his manus to her.

“Not once. How do you spell from that to sidesplitting someone?” she asked. “You’d deliberation there’d beryllium thing successful 19 years, but no.”

“We conscionable don’t judge it,” she added.