UT UT- Gregory Dahl Nickell, 21, fatally shot in car, his date abducted & raped by 2 men, 26/11/1972

[dotr]

Find A Grave
Gregory Dahl Nickell
''Gregory Dahl Nickell
Unsolved Homicide Cold Case Tip Hotline: 833-DPS-SAFE (833-377-7233)

• Date of Crime: 11/26/1972
• DOB: 5/29/1951
• Height: 6'
• Weight: 160 lbs
• Case #: 72-0029
• Agency: Uintah County Sheriff's Office

On 11/26/1972, Greg Nickell (victim) and a female passenger were parked at a scenic view West of Vernal,
UT in Uintah County. At approximately 0110 hrs Greg Nickell was seated in the vehicle and approached by
an unknown male suspect, Greg Nickell rolled down his window, and was shot several times, by the male
suspect.
The suspect got inside the vehicle and pushed Greg Nickell into the passenger side of the vehicle and drove
away following another vehicle. The vehicle was later discovered about 30 miles Southwest of Vernal, UT
near a local reservoir in Uintah County. The vehicle had been set on fire with the body of Greg Nickell inside.
At some point during the incident the female victim was forced into the second vehicle where she was held
captive and driven around Uintah and Duchesne County for several hours. The female victim was raped by
both the suspects. The female was later released in Duchesne County, and was able to walk to nearby farm
house and contact local law enforcement.
If you have any information that could help with this case please call the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office of
Investigation (435)789-2511

Uintah County Sheriffs Office Investigations Unit (435) 789-2511''

 

[dotr]

NOTING original suspect innocent and released. rbbm.
Mar 30, 2020
The Justice Files: Innocent but reputation is tarnished
''And months later, DNA proved Taylor didn’t kill Nickell. He is set free. Dale Taylor died in 1998. His son said his father never recovered from the shame associated with the allegations.''

''In 1994, Dale Taylor sued the Uintah County sheriff for false arrest but the case was dismissed.
As for the Nickell’s murder, it remains unsolved.


But authorities re-opened the case and are now waiting for results of DNA from two men who are considered persons of interest.''

1992
RAPE VICTIM DESCRIBES 1972 VERNAL SLAYING
''A rape victim and eyewitness to a slaying on Thursday recounted the harrowing events of a crime that occurred almost 20 years ago.

During the preliminary hearing in 8th District Court for Willard Dale Taylor, 52, of Salt Lake City, charged with first-degree homicide, the woman testified that the "trigger man" who repeatedly shot Gregory Dahl Nickell, 19, of Vernal, and later raped her in the early morning hours of Nov. 26, 1972, was "a braggart and very cocky."During her three-hour-long testimony, the woman, now 38 and living out of state, detailed specific events during the five to six hours she was held captive by two men. Both of them raped her after one of them shot and killed Nickell as the couple sat in his car at the scenic overlook west of Vernal.

"A man tapped on the window and Greg rolled it down. He told him there had been an accident and they needed help. Greg said `sure' and started to roll the window up, then he began shooting.''

''The first thing he said was he asked me if he looked like the type of man who could rape a 13-year old girl." He then drove away and was met by another man in a car a short time later.

The woman said the "trigger man" continually played with what she described as his "cowboy type" gun. "He enjoyed his gun. Holding it to my head and neck. He was very busy with it."

She said he had a Texas accent and "very filthy mouth.

"He told the other man he got carried away shooting Greg and he was proud of it."

 

[cocomod]

November 26, 2022 will be the 50th anniversary of the tragic murder of Gregory Dahl Nickell, a murder which remains unsolved.

Gregory “Greg” Dahl Nickell was born 29 May 1951 in Roosevelt, Utah, the son of Dallas C. and Colleen Alexander Nickell. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. About 1:10 a.m. on 26 November 1972, Nickell and his girlfriend were parked on the scenic overlook about four miles west of Vernal, Utah, when a man tapped on the driver’s side window. The man said he had experienced some trouble and wanted to know if Greg would drive him into town to notify authorities. When Greg rolled down his car window to tell the man he would be glad to help, he was met with a barrage of gunshots. He fell over in the car seat and the man jumped in, pushing Nickell’s body over to the passenger side. The man drove away, following a second car which had been waiting nearby.

The Nickell car was driven south of Ouray, Utah, where the man stopped near a reservoir. The girl was transferred into the second car while the shooter set the victim’s car on fire with the body still inside.

The two men drove around during the early morning hours, stopping to rape the girl. Terrified, the girl begged for her life, promising that if they would release her, she would not tell a soul about what happened. Eventually the men stopped the car not far from Duchesne and released the girl. She ran to a nearby farm house for help. She would later recall that the shooter was "a braggart and very cocky," and had a Texas accent and "very filthy mouth.” He kept playing with his “cowboy-style gun” during the ordeal, placing it against her head and threatening her.

The murder of Greg Nickell has never been solved. In 1992, twenty years after the murder, Willard Dale Taylor, 52, of Salt Lake City, was charged with the murder, but was exonerated by DNA and released.

The 50th anniversary of the slaying has brought about new efforts by the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office to open the case and to find the murderer of Greg Nickell. The Nickell family have never recovered from the trauma of the tragic killing of their beloved family member.

The Nickell family and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office are actively seeking clues to the solving of the crime and are anxious for the public’s help in doing so. If you have any information which would help solve this brutal crime, please contact Detective Vance Norton or Detective Chase Hall at the Uintah County Sheriff's Office (435) 789-2511.
Obituary for Gregory Dahl Nickell:

VERNAL — Funeral services for Gregory Dahl Nickell, 21, Vernal, who was murdered Nov. 26 four miles west of Vernal, will be Thursday 2 p.m., Vernal 4th, LDS Ward Chapel.
Born May 29, 1951, Roosevelt, to Dallas C. and Colleen Alexander Nickell. Veteran Vietnam War. Member LDS Church.
Survivors: parents, Vernal; brother, sister, Kim D., Lynnette Nickell, both Vernal; grandparents, James C. Nickell, Vernal; Mrs. May. Nickell, Las Vegas; Mrs. Velora Alexander, Roosevelt. Friends call Vernal Mortuary Wednesday 7-9 p.m., Thursday one hour prior to services. Burial Vernal Memorial Park.
-Salt Lake Tribune, November 28, 1972

 

[cocomod]

The Justice Files: In cold blood

VERNAL Utah (ABC4 Utah) – Greg Nickell was discharged from the Army in October 1972. A month later he was brutally murdered at a scenic overlook west of Vernal. “It was devastating to g…

www.abc4.com

JUSTICE FILES

The Justice Files: In cold blood​

November 26, 1972, is a date Nickell’s sister will never forget. She was celebrating Thanksgiving in Vernal. She brought a roommate who wanted to meet her brother. That night, Lynnette Nickell Ray excused herself from their company.

“I didn’t want to be a third wheel,” Nickell Ray said. So her brother and the 18-year-old roommate left for the night. They ended up at a scenic overlook three miles west of Vernal.

Without hesitation, she said Greg rolled down the window but the stranger pulled out a gun and shot him.


“He shot Greg several times,” said Greg’s sister. “Greg fell over onto R— as she was kind of hunched in the seat and when he was still aware that nothing was going to push her to the floorboard and he covered himself, her with himself and took the rest of the shells so she would not be shot.”

 

[cocomod]

Suspect identified in Uintah County cold case nearly 50 years later

Investigators in Uintah County said they have identified a suspect in a cold case murder that happened nearly 50 years ago to the day.Daniel Arthur Bell is susp

kutv.com

VERNAL, Utah (KUTV) — Investigators in Uintah County said they have identified a suspect in a cold case murder that happened nearly 50 years ago to the day.

Daniel Arthur Bell is suspected in the killing Gregory Dahl Nickell, an Army veteran, over Thanksgiving weekend in 1972, according to a news release Wednesday from the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office.

Technology leads to breakthrough​

Nickell’s murder remained a cold case for decades until renewed efforts over the last few years led to a breakthrough.

Sheriff’s investigators said in January 2020, they resubmitted forensic evidence taken from the woman at the hospital in 1972 to the state crime lab for analysis. This time, they found two DNA profiles which they then submitted to local and national databases.

One of those profiles matched Bell, investigators said, whose body was cremated following his March 2019 death in Yakima, Washington.

Investigators said they began researching Bell’s life and learned he lived in the Uintah Basin at the time of the murder where he worked on a ranch. After moving away from Utah, investigators said, Bell was convicted of rape in Oregon in 1988. He was paroled in 1999, they said, after which he moved to Washington and married.

Investigators did not say how old Bell was when he died in 2019, nor the approximate age of the second man involved.

Detectives said DNA samples from Bell’s adult children in Utah also helped identify him as a suspect in this cold case.

 

[dotr]

After a Painful False Arrest, Utah Sheriff's Office Names a Suspect in the 1972 Thanksgiving Cold Case Murder of a Vietnam Veteran Shot to Death While On a Date

“It’s a tragedy that it’s taken 50 years to identify one suspect," the Uintah County sheriff said. Authorities previously made one false arrest in the case.

lawandcrime.com

rbbm
''Vietnam veteran Gregory Dahl Nickell was only 21 years old when he was brutally murdered at a scenic lookout point while on a date west of Vernal, Utah on Thanksgiving weekend in 1972. Now, nearly 50 years later – and after one high-profile, costly false arrest – law enforcement insist this time they’ve finally found the elusive killer.''

''Authorities say they are still looking for the younger suspect, who is believed to be several years younger than Bell.
“We are committed to finding the truth, committed to finding the other person responsible for taking Greg from his family and forever changing the life of the woman who was with Greg that night,” Uintah County Sheriff Steve Labrum said. “It’s a tragedy that it’s taken 50 years to identify one suspect. It’s my hope that, with the public’s help, we will identify the other suspect much, much sooner.”

 

[dotr]

By Pat Reavy, KSL.com Nov 1 2024​

Murder charge filed in 1972 cold case from Vernal

A murder charge was filed Friday against a Tooele man in connection with the 1972 killing of a 21-year-old Vernal man.

www.ksl.com

''VERNAL — More than 50 years after he was killed, criminal charges were filed Friday in connection with the 1972 shooting and burning death of a 21-year-old Army solider from Vernal.

Darrel Eugene Choate, 74, was charged in 8th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony.''

''Now, according to charging documents filed Friday, after more DNA testing, "Darrel Eugene Choate is a direct DNA match for one of suspects who had murdered Greg Nickell and raped (the woman). This direct DNA match is proof that Darrel Eugene Choate is one of the two suspects and is not just a close familial match to one of the suspects."

Choate, who lives in Tooele, has an "extensive criminal record which did include sexual offenses in Price. Darrel Eugene Choate has also made statements in records that he believes he is able to read minds," the charges state.''

 

[longthymelurker]

By Pat Reavy, KSL.com Nov 1 2024​

Murder charge filed in 1972 cold case from Vernal

A murder charge was filed Friday against a Tooele man in connection with the 1972 killing of a 21-year-old Vernal man.

www.ksl.com

''VERNAL — More than 50 years after he was killed, criminal charges were filed Friday in connection with the 1972 shooting and burning death of a 21-year-old Army solider from Vernal.

Darrel Eugene Choate, 74, was charged in 8th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony.''

''Now, according to charging documents filed Friday, after more DNA testing, "Darrel Eugene Choate is a direct DNA match for one of suspects who had murdered Greg Nickell and raped (the woman). This direct DNA match is proof that Darrel Eugene Choate is one of the two suspects and is not just a close familial match to one of the suspects."

Choate, who lives in Tooele, has an "extensive criminal record which did include sexual offenses in Price. Darrel Eugene Choate has also made statements in records that he believes he is able to read minds," the charges state.''

I’m glad that one of the suspects is still alive to account for their actions. I wonder if Greg’s girlfriend is still alive.

 

[cocomod]

Wow! I am so glad! I just got home from work and saw the news and came here to post. Thank you @dotr for posting the article. At long last, some justice may be served.

 

[dotr]

'Nov 2, 2024

More than 50 years after he was killed, criminal charges were filed Friday in connection with the 1972 shooting and burning death of a 21-year-old Army soldier from Vernal.Darrel Eugene Choate, 74, was charged in 8th District Court with murder, a first-degree felony.'

Warrant for arrest filed for murder in Vernal 1972 cold case

A warrant of arrest for murder has been filed in a Vernal 1972 cold case.

kutv.com

''Choate is a direct match for one of the suspects who murdered Nickell and raped the 18-year-old.

Ray doesn't understand why these two men would do such a thing.

"(Nickell) was nothing but a contributor to this society. Just a fine person. Why would you do it? I don't think they're going to have an answer," said Ray.

The request for a warrant for Choate's arrest was signed on Oct. 30.''

 

[dotr]

• ARREST!
• NOV 30 2024 rbbm
• Cold case murder suspect arrested 52 years to the day after soldier slaughtered
• ''On the 50th anniversaty of Nickell's death, Uintah County Sheriff's Office had made a breaththrough in solving the case, and announced that thanks to extensive DNA testing they managed to track down the suspects. Daniel Arthur Bell, who used to live in the Uinta Basin, was found to be one of the two men involved in the crime.''
• 

Gregory and his date were victims of the serious crimes (
Image: Family Picture)
"We are interested in speaking with anyone who may have known Darrel Eugene 'Gene' Choate personally, or who may have information related to this case. He has a criminal and residential history in Uintah, Carbon and Duchesne counties, as well as the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. If you have information about people he may have confided in or remember conversations where he shared even the most minor details, your information could be crucial to the prosecution," the sheriff's office said.''

 

[dotr]

February 5th 2025 rbbm.

DNA advancements lead to cold case breakthrough in Utah abduction, murder mystery

In 1972, the quiet community of Vernal, Utah, was shaken by a violent crime that remained unsolved for more than 50 years.

kutv.com

“I tell people, literally, this is the golden age of cold cases and DNA testing,” O’Camb said. For many who lived through the tragedy, the breakthrough brings a sense of relief. “I think a lot of the older people are relieved, and I am too,” Capps said. “The law works. Sometimes it takes a while, but it works.”

''For Ray, after 52 years, one question still lingers.
“The ‘why’ is the most important thing to me over anything else,” she said. “I want to be able to look him in the eye and have him tell me, ‘Why? Why did you destroy our family like you did? Why did you destroy the girl’s family like you did and put fear in this town?’”

In Part Two, KUTV will take a closer look at how investigators cracked this case, believed to be the oldest cold case currently being prosecuted.''