Man arrested in 1972 murder case

SALT LAKE CITY — The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man in Salt Lake City on Tuesday on suspicion of murdering another man more than 50 years ago.

The sheriff’s office said it arrested 74-year-old Darrel Eugene “Gene” Choate for the murder of Gregory Nickell.

Police believe Choate murdered Nickell exactly 52 years ago, on November 26, 1972.

He was arrested at a hospital in Salt Lake City and is being held at the Uintah County Jail in Vernal, Utah.

1972 murder and assault

According to court documents, Nickell and an unnamed 18-year-old woman were parked at a rest stop on Highway 40 when a man approached the car.

The woman told police that the man pulled out a revolver and began shooting into the car, hitting Nickell.

The man then took over the car and drove her to another area. Another car, driven by a second man, joined them on the highway. They reached what is now Brough Reservoir.

According to court documents, the men then set fire to the stolen car that contained Nickell’s body.

From there, the men took the 18-year-old woman and held her captive for several hours. She reported that both men raped her while in captivity.

The men eventually released the 18-year-old near Duchesne.

The woman told police that the men talked about various things about her life while she was being held captive.

Read the full story at KSLTV.com

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