FARMINGTON — The day after Karin Strom's death almost 27 years ago, Edward Owens showed up at work with scratches on his face and arms. They were noticeable enough that a co-worker asked him about them.
"I went over and asked him, 'Boy, what happened to you?"' recalled Bob Lawson. "It looked like he'd been in a fight. He said, 'I've been playing with my dog' and I said, 'That must be one big dog."'
Owens, 56, was charged last month with first-degree murder in Strom's death after the case was revived with DNA tests that weren't available to investigators in 1980.
Owens was bound over for trial Thursday in 2nd District Court after a morning of testimony about DNA evidence, the scratches and the fact that Owens was missing from work when Strom was killed.
"He had the opportunity, he had the injury and the victim had DNA under her nails," said Davis County deputy attorney Troy Rawlings.
Police believe Strom, 25, was trying to fight off her attacker when she was strangled in June 1980.
Owens worked at the same machine shop as Strom's husband, Steve, who was originally charged in his wife's death. The case was later dismissed due to lack of evidence.
According to the DNA evidence discussed in court Thursday, genetic material from both men was found under the nails of the Karin Strom's right hand. Evidence from her left hand showed only Owens' DNA.
Woods Cross police detective Sgt. Brad Benson testified that it would not be uncommon for Strom to have her husband's DNA under her nails because, even though the couple were separating, she had been staying at their home. He said there was twice as much of Owens' DNA on Karin Strom's right hand compared with the DNA from Steve Strom.
Karin Strom was found dead in the bedroom of the home she shared with her husband. There was evidence of a violent assault in the room with a television knocked over and several things in disarray. The medical examiner determined Strom died between 10 p.m. June 5 and 2 a.m. June 6.
Owens left work at 8 p.m. on June 5 before his night shift was scheduled to end at 12:30 a.m., according to Benson. He didn't return until about 4 a.m. when he came back to lock up his tools, he said.
Three men who worked with Owens and Steve Strom testified Thursday that they noticed significant scratches on Owens the day after Karin Strom was found dead.
Owens was interviewed after her death and gave blood and hair samples at that time.
When the evidence was being tested for DNA in February of this year, Benson contacted Owens in Falls Church, Va., about the case.
Benson testified that Owens said he would return to Utah to talk with police but then disappeared for several days, leading his family in Virginia to file a missing person report. Owens eventually surrendered to Woods Cross police in March.
After court, Karin Strom's younger sister, Colleen Saltzgiver, said she was pleased after so many years that someone would stand trial in her sister's death, but she has more questions than ever.
"We're all flabbergasted because none of us even know who this is," she said about Owens.
For the past 27 years, Saltzgiver has repeatedly checked with police hoping for new information in the case.
"I started it for Karin. I'm going to finish it for Karin," she said.
Owens is being held in the Davis County jail in lieu of $125,000 bail. Judge Michael Allphin on Thursday refused requests from Owens' attorney, Michael Studebaker, to lower bail or release Owens pending trial.
An arraignment was set for April 30.
Steve Strom traveled from Henderson, Nev., to attend Thursday's hearing.
"He feels pretty good about things," Benson said later. "He feels we've got the right guy."