Suspect in '80 slaying wants evidence tossed

FARMINGTON — Edward Lewis Owens, charged with the 1980 slaying of Karin Strom, testified in court Wednesday he was uncomfortable giving DNA evidence to police the day after the crime but went along with the request "because they're the police."

That evidence could not be positively matched with DNA found under the victim's fingernails at the time of the initial investigation, and the case ultimately went cold. But more advanced technology led to new tests, and Owens was charged with first-degree felony murder in March.

Owens now claims the evidence was collected against his will. His attorney, Michael Studebaker, wants 2nd District Judge Jon Memmott to suppress the evidence.

The two police officers who questioned Owens the day after the slaying and accompanied him as blood, hair and saliva samples were collected at a hospital, and fingerprints were taken at the Davis County Sheriff's Office, testified Wednesday Owens never objected to their requests for the evidence.

Owens took the stand and said the officers were "just really ... "

"Aggressive?" Studebaker suggested.

"Yeah, aggressive," Owens responded.

Owens characterized DNA evidence as mysterious in 1980. "I just didn't really feel like that was something I wanted to give up."

The judge wants more information about the sequence in which police questioning and evidence collecting took place and specifically requested records from the hospital where the evidence was collected.

Owens said his interaction with police occurred over a period of several days; prosecutors are confident Owens was initially questioned, signed a waiver of his Miranda rights and had the evidence collected all in one day. Neither the defense nor prosecution said in court what bearing that had on the motion to suppress the evidence.

Memmott took the arguments under advisement and scheduled another hearing for July 2.

The defense also withdrew a motion requesting Owens' bail of $125,000 be reduced.

Strom was 25 when she was killed inside her Woods Cross home in June 1980. Her husband, Stephen Strom, who was the initial suspect in the slaying, told police the day after Karin was killed that a man he worked with, Owens, had access to the Stroms' house the night of the slaying. The former police officers who testified Wednesday said they questioned Owens and collected DNA from him primarily to rule him out as a suspect.

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