Utah officials reviving 1998 cold case that may be tied to Colorado serial killer

Published October 03, 2018

This is a sketch of the woman whose body was found in Utah in 1998. (Utah Department of Public Safety)

A convicted serial killer imprisoned in Colorado may be responsible for a 1998 cold case murder recently revived by Utah authorities.

Investigators announced Tuesday circumstantial evidence in the killing points to Scott Kimball, who is serving a 70-year sentence after he confessed to four murders, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Kimball is believed to have killed about 25 people. He has previously denied involvement in other cold-case killings.

Kimball was released from federal prison in 2002 to serve as a paid FBI informant. The four murders occurred after he was released from prison, the Denver Post reported.

Pictures of the crime scene where the woman's body was found. (Utah Department of Public Safety)

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Authorities said they’re also still trying to identify the woman whose body was found in southeastern Utah near Lake Powell on April 20, 1998. DNA indicates the woman was of Native American or Hispanic descent. Known as the “Maidenwater victim,” the woman was believed to be between the age of 37 and 45. She weighed about 112 pounds and had brown hair and brown eyes, FOX13 Utah reported.

Authorities found the victim covered in plastic bags tied up with a rope before she was wrapped in a carpet. State Bureau of Investigation Agent Brian Davis said a complicated rope knot was similar to one used on a victim of Kimball’s, and a child’s play rug matched one Kimball's son had at the time. Investigators also determined Kimball was in Utah around the time of the slaying.

Police point out the comparison of the complicated knots. (Utah Department of Public Safety)

“Maybe one of these cases is a domino effect," Davis said. "If we can solve one of these cases and link to Kimball, maybe it solves another one and another one."

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He added: “At this point, Scott Kimball is our sole suspect."

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/utah-officials-reviving-1998-cold-case-that-may-be-tied-to-colorado-serial-killer