Idaho inmate charged in 1983 murder of Ogden girl

A man in prison in Idaho has been charged with the 1983 death of an 11-year-old Ogden girl.

An arrest warrant filed in 2nd District Court in Weber County alleges that Gregory L. Seamons, 44, was the person who killed Rebecca Lemberger, who went missing after walking to school on March 2, 1983 and was found dead the next day in a shed located in field near 729 North Mountain Road. Evidence collected at the scene indicated Lemberger had been raped and beaten to death. Although DNA was collected from the scene, police were unable to find a suspect in the case for close to 30 years.

According to the warrant, which was filed Friday, a DNA sample taken by Seamons in July 2011 matched the DNA from the 1983 murder scene, which was placed into a national database. Police also determined that Seamons was living in the same Ogden neighborhood as Lemberger at the same time she was killed. Police verified the DNA match in October 2011.

Seamons was interviewed from prison twice and told police that he did not know the victim and was not with her during the time frame when she was murdered.

Seamons has been charged with first degree murder and rape, also a first degree felony.

The Idaho Department of Correction website states that Seamons is currently in prison for a second degree kidnapping conviction. His prison sentence is scheduled to end in 2017.

kbennion@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kbennion