Overview

• Christine Gallegos, 18, was found beaten, stabbed, shot, and sexually assaulted after hitchhiking to work on May 15, 1985.
• Ricky Lee Stallworth, a 27-year-old airman stationed at Hill Air Force Base in 1985, was identified as the likely suspect through advanced DNA analysis.
• The breakthrough came in 2023 when Othram Labs used investigative genetic genealogy to link Stallworth to the crime, confirmed by a relative’s voluntary DNA sample.
• Stallworth died of natural causes in July 2023, before police could question him, precluding prosecution but providing closure for the victim’s family.
• The investigation was funded by the federal Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which supports advanced DNA testing for cold cases, underscoring the impact of evolving forensic technologies.