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- Mark Nelson Munoz was arrested in a 19-year-old Magna homicide cold case.
- DNA from the national database CODIS matched Munoz to the crime scene, police say.
- Munoz's arrest followed extensive investigation; a motive remains undisclosed.
MAGNA — An arrest has been made in a 19-year-old cold case homicide investigation in Magna.
Mark Nelson Munoz, 53, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Thursday for investigation of murder in the 2005 death of 33-year-old Jason Royter.
Royter was found dead inside his house, 7383 W. Paine Road (3745 South), early on the morning of Aug. 6, 2005. An autopsy determined he was stabbed to death.
"When officers arrived they saw signs of a struggle in the home. There were no signs of forced entry, so Royter may have let the suspect in before the altercation. He received multiple stab wounds and bled to death," according to the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification's website,
Despite pleas by the family for information and to keep his story alive in the media, no one was ever arrested.
In 2024, after Salt Lake County sheriff's detective and cold case specialist Ben Pender had taken on the case, he was notified by the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services that a "hit" was made on the national DNA database CODIS.
"Detectives conducted several interviews, investigation and worked with the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services following the notification of the CODIS hit. The Utah Bureau of Forensic Services confirmed Mark Nelson Munoz's DNA matched DNA collected from the scene of the crime," a police booking affidavit states.
Munoz was taken into custody on Thursday.
"Mark Nelson Munoz is homeless, not employed and has a history of traveling out of state. Mark doesn't have a cellular telephone or has regular contact with family and/or friends," the affidavit states. "Once the CODIS hit was provided, it was difficult to locate the whereabouts of Mark. If he is released, Mark would be difficult to find based on his history of homelessness, no cellular telephone and not having any regular contact with family and/or friends."
A possible motive for the killing was not given in the affidavit.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office is expected to hold a press conference on Friday to discuss more details about the investigation and the arrest.
