Officials reveal breakthrough in 1990s West Valley cold case
SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Salt Lake County officials revealed a breakthrough that led to the conclusion of a homicide cold case from the 1990s in a press conference Thursday.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced the filing of charges in the 1996 murder of Lisa Redmond. Donald Eugene Younge has been charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery.
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Younge, who was extradited to Utah in 2009, is currently serving 30 years to life in the Utah State Prison for rape. Prior to his extradition, he was being tried on federal allegations of the murder of three sex workers in St. Louis. The federal charges were dismissed due to evidentiary issues.
Following his conviction for sexual assault in 2010, he was tried for the murder of Amy Quinton, who was found dead in 1999 at the University of Utah. The case was later dismissed due to evidentiary issues, however, it was dismissed without prejudice allowing for the case to remain open.
On December 9, 1996, officials say Redmond left the Pizza Hut near 3100 South 5200 West to deliver pizza to a nearby hotel. She was found deceased shortly after on the roadway with her pizza delivery pickup truck missing. The truck was later found just over a mile away from the crime scene.
According to officials, there were signs of a struggle within the vehicle. They say they found blood and shoeprints in the truck, and evidence that she was run over.
In March 2019, officials connected DNA and handprints from the scene to Younge. They then interviewed Younge who allegedly denied all the charges initially by saying he was not in the area during that time.
However, later detectives learned that he worked on the border of Salt Lake City and West Valley City at the time of the murder. They say Younge told them he used UTA buses at the time and detectives located two bus stops near the Pizza Hut where Redmond worked.
Gill said knowing Younge was in prison allowed them to take more time to be confident in the evidence they collected.
“Detectives have worked long and diligently so that this case could be solved,” said West Valley City Chief of Police Colleen Jacobs. “Justice for Lisa and her family has been a long time coming.”
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