THE chilling riddle of a murdered woman found wrapped in a carpet nearly 25 years ago has finally been solved by a piece of rope.
Lina Reyes-Geddes, 38, was found dumped on the side of a road near Maidenwater Spring, Utah by a passerby on April 20, 1998.
She was covered in plastic bags, wrapped in duct tape, tied with a rope and thrown into a sleeping bag before she was wrapped in a carpet, authorities said.
Using advanced DNA technology, cops have now determined Lina was killed by her husband Edward Geddes, who took his own life three years after the murder in 2001.
Nearly 25 years later, detectives were able to pull his DNA from the rope using a specialized vacuum.
Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Brian Davis said Edward was cremated, meaning cops needed to get DNA from two relatives to compare the DNA on the rope.
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Mr Davis said another set of male DNA was found on the rope – but they were later ruled out and Edward was identified as the killer.
When Edward was quizzed by cops in 1998, he claimed his wife was traveling from Ohio to Texas and then to Mexico.
But Mr Davis believes Lina was killed in Ohio and then transported to Utah.
The detective said he doesn't know why Edward traveled more than 1,800 miles to dump his wife's body.
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Even prior to the breakthrough DNA evidence, there was circumstantial evidence that pointed to Edward as the killer, Davis said.
"There’s a lot of ups and downs in law enforcement, but I would put this case at the top of just making you feel good," he told The New York Post.
"At least there’s some closure, at least there’s answers."
He told KSL-TV: "Their family thought that Edward had done something to her.
"They just hadn’t proved it… that was always their hunch.”
When Lina was found dead, her remains were not identified by the local cops and the case went cold as she was not reported missing by her husband at the time.
Mr Davis said Lina was only reported missing five months after she was last seen alive by her aunt who lived in Mexico.
In 2018, Lina's sister Lucero travelled from Mexico to provide a DNA sample and cops were able to confirm the body was Lina's.
She was only known as the "Maidenwater victim" for a decade.
Speaking in 2019, she said: “I felt like for 20 years no one would listen to me. But now I know what happened.
"I’m here to bring her home, not like I expected, but I’m bringing her back home with me."
Mr Davis said: “She was very appreciative and thankful, even back in 2018 just from the ID, she was very grateful and humble for what had been done.
"It wasn’t what they’d hope for and expected but at least they knew, at least they knew where she was, they knew that they had her remains back."
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Earlier in the investigation, cops looked into convicted serial killer Scott Kimball as a potential suspect, who murdered at least four people and is suspected in numerous other unsolved killings.
But Mr Davis said he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect.
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