The Murder of Regina ‘Gina’ Krieger
Warning, this case does discuss the topics of murder, suicide and crimes against a child.
For this case, I watched an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn. It’s season 25 episode 5, titled ‘Changing Stories.’
A 14-year-old girl disappears from her small town home.
Background
Regina ‘Gina’ Lee Krieger was born on March 3, 1980, and grew up in the small town of Burley, Idaho. Regina was very close to her parents, Dan and Rhonda, until they went through a divorce and custody battle. Regina felt as if she was stuck in the middle, and began to rebel.
Regina was described as a kind and fun girl who loved her friends. Rhonda also said Regina was a good student, but she could tell how much the divorce was affecting her daughter.
Regina ‘Gina’ Krieger
The Disappearance
On the morning of February 28, 1995, Dan Krieger called the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office. He had gone down to Regina’s bedroom, as she was living with him, and discovered her missing. Dan had also noticed some blood in the room.
The police arrived shortly after the call. In Regina’s basement bedroom, the police found blood on the carpet, blood smears going up the stairs, on the back door, and a blood trail in the yard leading to the back fence.
Besides the blood, there was no sign of forced entry into the home. Regina’s bedroom was not in anymore disarray than it usually was.
Dan told the police that he believed his daughter had been abducted. He did admit that Regina had attempted suicide about a month before she disappeared. After hearing this, the police’s theory was that Regina had left on her own. They believed the blood in Regina’s room was from her cutting herself, so the evidence wasn’t properly collected.
A Distraught Father
After the police shared their opinion with Dan, he contacted them. He had discovered that several items in Regina’s room were missing. Dan said Regina’s blanket, backpack, clothing and makeup were gone.
The police spoke to Regina’s friends. They said that Regina had mentioned running away, and had wanted to go to either Colorado or California. Regina’s friends also said they hadn’t seen her in several weeks because she had been hanging out with a new crowd.
Dan continued to contact the police. It turns out that Dan had found the items he once claimed had been missing. The backpack and clothing were found in different places in Regina’s room, and her makeup bag was found at school.
Dan had also mentioned an older boyfriend that Regina was dating. Dan didn’t know much about him, but claimed that Regina had been introduced to the boyfriend through another friend. The friend claimed he didn’t introduce anyone to Regina.
The police couldn’t find this boyfriend in any of their databases. Dan continued to call the police about rumors he was hearing. The original investigators were suspicious of him and his behavior. Dan was also the last person to see Regina and first person to notice she was missing.
A neighbor had told the police that she believed she had heard Dan and Regina fighting on the night she disappeared. The neighbor said they heard a man yelling, a girl crying, and then a car screeching away.
The Discovery
Several weeks after Regina went missing, a body of a young female was found on the shore of the Snake River. The body was badly decomposed and only wearing shorts and underwear.
The investigator at the time reached out to Rhonda, and told her about the body. Rhonda had asked if the victim was wearing any clothing. She was told that there were a pair of shorts with the words ‘Dean’s Cove.’ Rhonda told the police that they had found her daughter, and that Dean’s Cove was a place they had visited in happier times.
Through dental records, the body was positively identified as Regina’s. Regina’s autopsy revealed that the crime was very personal and seemed angry. Regina had been stabbed in the chest, and her throat was slit. Regina had also been struck in the head and face. The medical examiner said she wouldn’t have been able to fight back after being hit.
The police now realized that they had made huge mistakes in the investigation. They hadn’t believed that Regina was murdered, and didn’t collect the evidence found at the Krieger home.
A Troubled Kid
After news of Regina’s murder spread, a tip came into the police. A teenager named Cody Thompson claimed to have seen a body around the time of Regina’s murder.
Cody was 16 at the time, and was a very troubled kid. He admitted to being on drugs at the time that he had seen the body. He said he was at a party, and had seen the body in the bathtub. He was shown a picture of Regina, and through tears, said he believed that could’ve been her.
No one else at the party had come forward, so the police didn’t believe Cody. They believed he was a messed up kid who made up the story.
Months turned into years, and Rhonda moved away from Idaho. Rhonda said she grieved for awhile, and became determined to get justice for her daughter. Rhonda said she wrote letters to everyone she could think of to help her reopen her daughter’s case.
A Cold Case
In January 2013, Sergeant Robert Taylor of the Cassia Co. Sheriff’s Office, had already started to reopen Regina’s case. He realized how much evidence was missed and hadn’t been collected.
Sgt. Taylor looked through all of the eyewitness testimonies, including Cody Thompson’s. Over the years, Cody had gotten into a lot of trouble, and landed himself in prison for life due to an unrelated violent crime.
The FBI also became involved, and spoke to Cody. Cody said he had lied over the years, and finally wanted to tell the truth. Cody said he had been at the crime scene on the night of Regina’s disappearance with the murderer, a drug dealer named Gilbert Rodriguez. Gilbert would use teenagers in his drug operations.
The police spoke to Gilbert, who immediately said he had been out of the country in February 1995. Gilbert said he had been deployed in Afghanistan for the military. But, his government records proved this was a lie.
What Really Happened?
With no evidence, the police had to rely on Cody Thompson’s story. Cody said he had been with Gilbert on the night of the murder, and was high. Cody said he waited in the car, and watched Gilbert walk through the gate at the Krieger home.
Cody said he waited for what felt like forever until Gilbert returned with something in a blanket. Gilbert had told Cody that someone was in the blanket. Cody said he and Gilbert drove to the Jackson Bridge over the Snake River. Gilbert drew a .9mm pistol, and told Cody to help him. Together, they threw Regina off the bridge, and she ended up just a few miles away on the shore. The bridge was also about 12 miles from her dad’s house.
The police believed Cody, and he agreed to testify. Cody was also told he wouldn’t be getting any reduction time for his other crime. Several other witnesses came forward, and admitted that Cody and Gilbert had shown up at a party covered in blood on the night of the murder.
Gilbert’s friend, Carlos, said that Gilbert talked about murdering Regina, so that no one else would cross him. He would constantly make references about what he did to her.
The Arrest and Conviction
On February 20, 2019, Gilbert Ramirez was arrested. Regina’s dad, Dan, was finally vindicated after decades of being looked at as a suspect.
At the trial, Cody testified to being a scared and messed up kid. The prosecution knew he was going to be hard to believe as he was a convicted felon. Cody testified in his prison jumpsuit, and the jury believed him. The defense tried to say that Cody wasn’t believable and was just another jailhouse snitch.
Gilbert was found guilty, and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Rhonda believed Cody was also a victim, and has actually visited him in prison. In the episode, she said Cody waited years to tell the truth about what had happened, and had been afraid of Gilbert.
Gilbert Rodriguez
Cody Thompson
FINAL THOUGHTS
The motive to why Gilbert killed Regina isn’t clear. Regina must have come into contact with Gilbert when she started hanging out with a new crowd. There is a theory that maybe Regina sold drugs for him, but there is no evidence of that. It’s just heartbreaking what Regina went through, as well as what her parents went through. Dan was clearly trying to help solve his daughter’s murder, and wanted the police to take it seriously. I applaud Sgt. Taylor, the Cassia Co. Sheriff’s Office and the FBI for finally giving answers to the Krieger family.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/regina-krieger-murder/
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/gilberto-rodriguez-found-guilty-of-murdering-regina-krieger
