GUILTY UT - Kristine Gabel, 45, raped & murdered at SLC park, 18 Dec 2010

A woman’s body was found in an outdoor restroom at Fairmont Park in the Sugar House area Saturday afternoon. Police are investigating the death as a homicide.

Salt Lake City police Sgt. Shawn Josephson said about 2:40 p.m. a 911 call was made. When officers responded they found a deceased woman in a women’s restroom at the north end of the park, at about 2300 South and 900 East.

Josephson said because there was so much evidence leading up to the bathroom that needed to be processed, by 6:30 p.m. detectives hadn’t yet processed the body or identified the victim.

Officers are not sure how large the actual crime scene is, so they taped off the entire park as a precaution. Josephson said evidence suggests an altercation started outside the bathroom and then ended up inside, where the woman was found.

Police are calling what occurred at the park Saturday afternoon as "suspicious circumstances" and are looking for someone that may have scratches, cuts, or anything indicative of being involved in a fight. Officers did not immediately have a description or gender of the attacker.

Snipped from http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50901353-76/park-josephson-police-restroom.html.csp

Still no word on who was murdered. Sounds like it was a brutal murder....


Debra Macfarlane, said, though, that the park can be dangerous and that while she goes there daily to walk her dogs, it's only in the daylight hours.

"I thought the police were here for a transient situation," she said. "(People) accost you, they try to throw things at you, they're always drunk. It's kind of a nasty park."



http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700092951/Police-investigate-two-separate-homicides-Saturday.html

Nasty park is right. Years ago I dated a guy who used to own a house across from the golf course. Way back then it was druggies and prostitutes walking around the parimeter fence of the golf course. They were aiming to stay away from the busier patrolled streets like 900 east. What's odd is the houses and the surrounding neighborhoods were not too shabby.

It appears the victim was killed in a bathroom just north of the golf course. AFAIK, all outside bathrooms at city parks are shut down and locked after Labor Day. Or they were back when my kids were little and needing to use a bathroom.

Why are there so many vicious murders during the holidays?
Why do people kill?
It's so sad.............

Suspect Arrested

Paul David Vara, 30, was arrested Wednesday in connection with Saturday's murder as well as a rape at Pioneer Park that took place Dec. 14.

Police received information from witnesses that Vara forcibly sexually assaulted a woman at Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake City last Tuesday.

The ongoing investigation into the death of Kristine Marie Gabel, 45, revealed she was sexually assaulted as well before her body was found in a bathroom at Fairmont Park last Saturday.

Police say they received information that Vara was responsible for both of these crimes but did not provide further details.

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Snipped from http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13761541

Kristine Marie Gabel's family speaks.

Kristine's sister said although her sister fought years of addiction to alcohol she did not deserve to die in such a brutal way. She is the mother of two daughter's who she loved very much. Her family tried to assist her in every way they could.


http://www.abc4.com/content/news/to...ered-woman-speaks/aNxNF_LQ1Eug4f6eoYi_8Q.cspx

How sad is that? Sad. May you rest in peace Kristine Marie Gabel. I am sorry the world was so ugly for you and violent. Prayers and positive wishes for her family.

From August 2011:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...-to-life-for-Fairmont-Park-murder.html?pg=all

Paul David Vara, 31, plead guilty Friday to murdering 45-year-old Kristine Marie Gabel in a Fairmont Park bathroom on Dec. 18. He also plead guilty to raping a woman in Pioneer Park on Dec. 14. In exchange for his guilty pleas, and his immediate sentencing, he was spared a sure death penalty and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole...

Charging documents outlined extremely graphic and disturbing details of how the 6-foot-1, 260-pound Vara "pulled her internal organs out" of Gabel when killing her. Likewise, the victim in the rape case also suffered extensive injuries.

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