UINTAH COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 26, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Uintah County Attorney’s Office has indicted a man for the fatal shooting that, 52 years ago today, took the life of Gregory Nickell.
Darrel Eugene “Gene” Choate, 74, a Tooele resident, was indicted on Nov. 1 for allegedly shooting Nickell, 21, on Nov. 26, 1972.
Nickell and a female passenger were parked at a scenic view west of Vernal, according to a Utah Cold Case website, when a suspect approached the car. Nickell rolled down the car window and was shot several times by the suspect, the site says.
“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,” the site says.
“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 a nearby farm house and contact local law enforcement.”
As DNA technology improved in recent years, samples collected decades ago from the female rape victim were first connected in 2019 to Daniel Bell, a Yakima, Washington, resident, who had died shortly before he was identified as a match.
DNA testing by another company suggested the remaining unidentified DNA was connected to the family name of Choate.
“A surreptitious DNA sample was collected from Darrel Eugene Choate by law enforcement who had responded to his residence on an unrelated call for service,” his affidavit says. “The surreptitious DNA sample was then sent to the Utah state lab for comparison against the DNA sample of the unknown male suspect.
“The Utah state lab compared the sample collected from Darrel Eugene Choate against the sperm fraction DNA sample found on the vaginal swab collected in 1972 and determined that it was a match.”
An arrest warrant was issued for Choate, who was hospitalized at the time. The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office says Choate was taken into custody today, “52 years to the day of when the crime occurred.”
The UCSO is seeking the community’s assistance in obtaining any information regarding Choate.
“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 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 information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Contact the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office at 435-781-6700 or email [email protected] if you have any details that could assist in our investigation. Choate is a white male, approx. 5 feet 9 inches, and was 160-180 lbs. with bluish/hazel eyes and brown hair at the time of the crime. He was a horseman, marksman, truck driver, ranch hand, oil field worker, and worked in the mining industry.
“The Uintah County Sheriff’s Office is committed to uncovering the truth and providing justice for the victims and their families.”
Gephardt Daily will have more information as the case develops.
