Five years after a woman's severed arms were found in a downtown trash bin, police are ready to arrest a Utah inmate in her death.
A Pima County grand jury indicted convicted rapist Lemuel Prion on Thursday on charges of first-degree murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault and kidnapping.A woman collecting aluminum cans found Diana Dawn Vicari's arms in October 1992. The rest of the 19-year-old college student's body was never found, though her car was found within two blocks of where Prion lived at the time.
The last time Vicari was seen alive was just past midnight Oct. 23, 1992, in the parking lot of Tucson Convention Center, police said. Her friends have said she was driving alone in the parking lot, asking passersby if they knew of a party.
Her car was found less than a block from a house where neighbors said a large party was held the night she disappeared. Her purse, textbooks and the green cap she wore at work were all found in the car.
Prion had been convicted of raping a 15-year-old Tucson girl in her home. He served five years and was released in 1991.
He is currently serving time in the Utah State Prison for aggravated assault, a 3rd degree felony, and possession of a dangerous weapon in a correctional facility, a 2nd degree felony. He was denied parole at a hearing in December 1995, but was scheduled for another hearing in 1999.
Sgt. Eugene Mejia, a police spokesman, said detectives plan to serve an arrest warrant on Prion in the Utah prison where he now is held, then to begin extradition proceedings.
Kathy Pashos, Vicari's mother, said that she is relieved her killer finally may be brought to justice, but the indictment surprised Deborah Vicari, Diana's sister, who said she had given up hope.
"I was thinking, `Gosh, the anniversary is coming around,' and I wasn't strong enough to go through another unsolved year," Deborah Vicari said. "I'm glad, I really am."
Lt. Tom McNally said police took sufficient time in their investigation to collect a lot of evidence circumstantially linking Prion to the crime.
"One of the considerations was that he was in custody and didn't present a public threat, " McNally said. "You only have one shot at this, and it wasn't until this point that we felt we were confident enough that we could take this case forward."
Police have yet to release details as to how Vicari was killed, saying that to do so could jeopardize prosecution.
The family held a memorial service five years ago but have never had a funeral for her, something Pashos said they hope to do if police now can find the rest of her daughter's body.
Family members have gathered annually for a vigil in the alley where her arms were found.