The Logan City Police Department and Cache County Attorney’s Office announced the closure of a 59-year-old cold case, the oldest in the state of Utah, Wednesday.
According to a press release, the murder of 17-year-old Tanya Weber was left unsolved for 59-years after the LCPD’s primary suspect, 26-year-old Owen Kimball, was found dead by alleged suicide.
Lt. Bret Randall from LCPD said the department reopened the case a couple times, but there wasn’t much to go on.
In early 2022, LCPD reopened the case. Randall said there was finally an avenue for funding to get DNA tests through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant and Utah Cold Case Database.
According to the press release, the Utah State Crime Lab found DNA from several males on Tanya’s clothing collected as evidence for the investigation.
Investigators filed for and obtained an order, signed by First District Court Judge Brian Cannell, to exhume Kimball’s body on Nov. 2, 2023.
Kimball’s remains were delivered to the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office where investigators collected DNA samples.
The samples were analyzed by the Utah State Crime Lab and the lab at Bode Technology Group in Lorton, Virginia.
Investigators found Kimball’s DNA on an article of clothing worn by Weber at the time of her death.
LCPD presented the new evidence, combined with the numerous statements and evidence collected in 1965, to Cache County Attorney Taylor Sorensen and Chief Deputy Daniel Major.
A review of the evidence was sufficient to obtain a verdict beyond a reasonable doubt Kimball killed Weber.
Randall said it felt appropriate to release the case’s closure as part of the 59th anniversary of Weber’s death.
Randall said Logan was quite a small community at the time, and the homicide caused a lot of anguish.
“We’re very excited for the family, for the chance to give some closure to this family regarding their sister.”
Four of Weber’s younger siblings are still living, her sisters Julie Wiley and Rhonda Christensen, and brothers Steven and David Weber.
Christensen said the family is feeling very grateful today.
“There are no words to express how it feels, after 59 years,” said Christensen.
She said they are truly grateful for the law enforcement who cared about solving the case, and for the resources and time spent on the case.
Christensen expressed gratitude for several individuals involved in the case, including Detective Kyle VanAmen from the LCPD, Kathy Mackay, a Utah Cold Case Database Analyst and Steve O’Camb from the State Bureau of Investigation SAKI unit.
Utah’s oldest active cold case solved
Weber was found dead on West Center Street in Logan on June 26, 1965.
News articles from the time said Weber was returning home from a wedding that night.
An autopsy revealed strangulation as the cause of death, and it was declared a homicide.
Lem Earl was part of the original investigation with the Cache County Sheriff’s Department. He helped process the crime scene and collect evidence.
Earl said the officers in Logan didn’t have much experience with homicide at the time because there just hadn’t been any.
He said Salt Lake City sent a homicide detective to help with the investigation, and he sent them out to knock on doors and talk with people.
The press release said investigators interviewed about 1,000 people and collected statements from 150 of them.
“All this circumstantial evidence started to point to this fellow, Kimball,” said Earl.
According to the press release, Kimball lived close to the victim and knew her. Statements from those interviewed put Kimball in the area around the time of Weber’s death.
On June 30, 1965, Kimball’s family reported him missing. Later, Earl and other officers followed a tip and found Kimball dead in his truck up Logan Canyon.
His death was ruled suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Earl said they processed all the evidence, including the clothes Weber was wearing at the time of her death, carefully, photographing everything.
He said they found a clear fingerprint on one of her shoes, which they sent to an FBI lab.
Because of the lack of evidence and a prime suspect, the homicide was unsolved for 59 years.
Earl said a lot of work went into the investigation, and it has stayed in the back of his mind all these years.
“I was tickled to hear they had gotten the DNA match,” said Earl. “It feels good to have it officially closed.”
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