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John Hollenhorst A cold case in Utah's Uinta Basin is getting warmer.
Lena Rasmussen, Vernal Homeowner: "There's definitely foul play. Somebody got hurt in this house."
Crime scene investigators are on the trail of some new clues in a 20-year-old mystery.
Bob Vanderbusse, , Uintah County Sheriff's Investigator: "Something happened here. And we're excited to find it. We're thankful that the owner of the home called."
It's been almost 20 years since a Vernal woman disappeared. Now investigators think they may have found her blood in two key locations. The potential evidence so far isn't enough to make a murder case. Investigators were disappointed by one forensic test tonight, but they still think they found a crime scene with large amounts of blood that's been overlooked and underfoot for 19 years.
Investigators believe Rhonda Karren's body has been buried for 19 years in an old well. Recent drilling turned up no firm evidence, but lab tests are still pending.
Karren disappeared from her house. This week investigators went back to the house after getting a call from the current owner. She remembered seeing stains in the floor years ago when she replaced a carpet.
Lena Rasmussen, Vernal Homeowner: "I thought it was engine oil because it just looked dark on top. It was black."
Investigators removed nearly the entire living room floor as possible evidence. Before taking it out they sprayed the floor with a special blood detecting chemical. Detectives say it lit up and glowed spectacularly, indicating the presence of blood.
Bob Vanderbusse, Chief Deputy, Uintah County Sheriff's Office: "Oh, I was just, my heart just started pounding."
Investigators have focused on Mark Karren, Rhonda Karren's estranged husband in 1987. He told us, "I claimed I was innocent then and I'll say the same thing today and that's all I'm going to say." Last week, investigators located his old pickup truck. They say forensic chemicals detected blood in the truck too.
Investigators took saliva swabs from Rhonda Karren's mother, hoping to make a DNA match with blood stains. They allowed us to videotape preparations for more testing on the floor stains. But for legal reasons prosecutors would not let us shoot the actual tests with chemical reagents.
Charles Illsley, Crime Scene Investigator, Uintah County Sheriff's Office: "I mean it's like watching a ghost right on the floor when this works."
Well, the test did not work tonight. The floor stains didn't glow at all. Investigators aren't sure why when it glowed so brightly last night. Many more tests are planned, but they still don't have enough to make an arrest.
