That said, the board will still consider all new information about Romero, including any statements Romero made in Friday's hearing with Garner, and decide if there sufficient cause to maintain the initial recision of Romero's parole, he said.

"This is a very difficult situation for (the board) to be in, I'm sure," Dinse acknowledged. "If you are asking my opinion, (Romero) should be kept in (prison)."

When questioned by police, Romero has "not been cooperative and he is not answering questions," Salt Lake detective Cathy Schoney said.

The attacks that came to be associated with the "Parkway Rapist" began March 19, 1990, when a 15-year-old girl was attacked near 700 N. Redwood Road. Five other attacks occurred that year, followed by one in 1991, Schoney said. Then, after a 22-month break, the assaults began again May 16, 1993.

None of the victims were able to identify their attacker because in each case, the man approached them from behind and covered their faces or blindfolded them to keep himself from sight, Dinse said.

But DNA technology requires no visual reference and, fortunately for police, evidence collected when the crimes were first reported was preserved and matched to blood samples secured from Romero through a warrant.

Initially, chemists at the state crime lab discovered a link between Romero and the attacks while in the course of conducting routine checks of DNA samples from state prison inmates with the DNA samples in CODIS. Also known as the Combined DNA Index System, CODIS is a database of DNA evidence collected from crimes committed across the state. The state crime lab is in the process of cross-checking some 20,000 back-logged DNA samples from inmates against CODIS data, said Stu Smith, forensic services supervisor for the Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Forensic Services.

Schoney, who has been investigating sex crimes since 1994, has spoken with each of the 12 living victims and said their responses have been emotional, especially when they learn that Romero will never be charged for his alleged acts.

"Their reaction has been one of anger. They are very, very upset that this man can never be prosecuted," Schoney said.

Dinse hopes that despite the absence of prosecution, the women will find some element of closure.

"Their reaction has been mixed and there is a certain amount of traumatization that resurfaces," he surmised. "On the other hand, I think there is a certain amount of relief that (Romero) has been identified and in knowing that he is in custody for now."

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E-mail: jdobner@desnews.com