A heinous crime that went unsolved for 40 years has finally been brought to justice thanks to a bombshell breakthrough: DNA technology.
Salt Lake City police have identified Ricky Lee Stallworth as the man who brutally murdered 18-year-old Christine Gallegos in 1985.
On May 15, 1985, Gallegos was last seen hitchhiking to work when she encountered Stallworth, a 27-year-old airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base.
The next morning, her body was discovered in a field after she had been beaten, sexually assaulted, stabbed, and shot twice in the head.
For four decades, her killer walked free while her family suffered without answers.
Salt Lake City police announced the resolution on the 40th anniversary of Gallegos’ death, bringing closure to a case that haunted the community for generations.
The breakthrough came through advanced DNA analysis and investigative genetic genealogy.
Stallworth, who was known by some as a “State Street stalker,” evaded the consequences of his crimes since he died of natural causes in July 2023 at age 65.
His identification was only possible after investigators used Texas-based Othram Labs to match DNA from the crime scene with that of Stallworth’s son.
The suspect had never previously been connected to the case despite his history of suspicious behavior.
“As a result, we’ve concluded that he is the killer of Christine Gallegos and we are closing the case,” stated Salt Lake police detective Cordon Parks.
Today we announced the closure of a 1985 cold case homicide.
After nearly 40 years, our detectives identified the person responsible for the murder of 18-year-old Christine Gallegos.
This case reflects the work of our homicide squad, advances in forensic science, and strong… pic.twitter.com/PohIAPsTLM
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) May 15, 2025
“Today, we can say with certainty that he was responsible for the death of Christine Gallegos. And we are officially announcing the closing of this case,” Parks added.
The investigation into Stallworth uncovered disturbing patterns of behavior. He was known for unexplained overnight absences and had associations with prostitutes.
One of his ex-wives was reportedly not surprised when contacted about DNA collection for a murder investigation, suggesting those who knew him best were suspicious about his character and activities.
Christine’s mother, Leah Gallegos, expressed both grief and gratitude at the announcement.
She said , “They have never given up. Even though I had thought they had given up, they’d never given up.”
“She was just special. She was outgoing, she was sweet, she was in love with (her) fiancé, Troy. They had a family planned. They took so much away when they took her away,” Leah added.
The funding for the crucial DNA analysis came from a grant from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd emphasized the department would continue finding justice for victims of violent crimes, regardless of how much time has passed.
“I just want to reiterate our commitment to solving cold cases,” Redd stated.
While no criminal charges can be filed against Stallworth due to his death, the resolution of this case provides a measure of closure for a family that has waited 40 years for answers.
