26 years later, Idaho man convicted in killing of teen found near Snake River, cops say

A 14-year-old girl’s body washed up on the banks of the Snake River in 1995 and 26 years later, an Idaho man has been found guilty in her death, police said.

A Cassia County jury found Gilberto Rodriguez, 58, of Burley, guilty of first-degree murder Tuesday, a post shared by the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office said.

Regina Krieger, also of Burley, went missing from her home in February 1995, just two days before her 15th birthday, The Idaho Statesman reported in 2019. Nearly two months later, her body was found.

She had been stabbed in the heart and her throat was slit, according to the Statesman. It wasn’t until 2019 that police arrested and charged Rodriguez in connection with her killing.

Rodriguez was 32 at the time of Krieger’s death, according to a state witness, Magic Valley reported. The witness, who is a prison inmate, testified that Rodriguez enlisted him to help dump Krieger’s body in the river when the witness was 16, according to the news site.

His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26.

This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 5:38 PM.