1972 Vernal Murder Case On Hold After Defense Attorney Withdraws From Case

Another attorney has withdrawn from representing Darrell Eugene Choate, the man charged in the 1972 murder of Gregory Nickell. 76-year-old Darrell Eugene Choate of Tooele was taken into custody on November 26th, 2024, by Uintah County Sheriff Detectives at a Salt Lake City hospital in what had been a 50-year-old cold case. Choate was 22 years old at the time of Nickell’s murder and with recent advancements in DNA testing, Choate was identified as a suspect and brought into custody. Choate entered a Not Guilty plea in court a year ago and remained in custody at the Uintah County Jail. This week on Monday, Choat appeared in 8th District Court with attorney Colleen Coebergh who explained she had accepted a position with the State of Utah and asked to withdraw from the case as a result. The judge explained that prosecutors would  need to work with the indigent defense system for a replacement to be appointed.