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SALT LAKE CITY — It's been more than three years since Jason Royter of Magna was murdered in his own home. Police never arrested anyone for the crime, and the case has grown cold.
But the family has renewed hope for the investigation. They hope people driving on State Road 201 near 4800 West will notice a billboard and help find Royter's killer.
Royter's sister, Niki Fishler, said, "I love him every day. I miss him every day."
Time hasn't made things easier for her. "Especially with the holidays coming, it's just really hard," she said.
Three and a half years ago, her brother died a violent death. "I don't know why somebody would do this," she said.
His attacker has yet to be found. "They may think they've gotten away with murder. This may go on for 20 years, but something is going to pop up," she said.
Royter was stabbed and beaten to death on Aug. 6, 2005. Fishler believes her brother knew his killer. He was on the phone with his daughter the night he died.
"He says, ‘Honey, I've got to go. So-and-so is at the door.' And that was the last time anybody talked to him. That was about 10 o'clock that night," she said.
Three and a half hours later Royter's girlfriend found his body in the basement of their Magna home.
In a past interview, Tammy Martinez told us there were signs of a struggle in nearly every room. "There was so much blood everywhere, and I still have nightmares of it, of his eyes and blood everywhere," she said.
According to relatives, investigators have interviewed the person who came to the door that night as well as other friends and acquaintances, but the case has grown cold.
Niki Fishler said, "I don't know how this person sleeps at night and wakes up and looks at themselves in the mirror knowing what they did to this person. They probably didn't even know his last name."
On Nov. 20, the day before Royter's 37th birthday, the billboard went up along S.R. 201. Fishler hopes it'll give new life to the investigation.
"Somebody may know something that they think isn't any big deal, and that could be the key to opening the whole thing," she said.
Investigators have said some things were taken from the house, but they don't know if robbery was the motive. The family is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
