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Detectives investigating the murder of two women killed on the same date two years apart have "people of interest" and are waiting for an FBI analysis.

West Valley City police Sgt. Mike Powell said Thursday the creation of a task force and a publicity campaign this winter helped create new leads in the Feb. 9 killings, but he gave no indication an arrest was near.

"The public response was good," Powell said. "We were happy with that. We were happy that the public was interested."

Detectives have looked at "several people of interest and we're continuing to look at other individuals," Powell said.

West Valley City police Chief Thayle "Buzz" Nielsen, at a community forum earlier this month, said detectives were waiting for a report from FBI investigators in Virginia, which could include an updated profile of the killer's demographics.

"The theories are still the same," Nielsen said. "[Detectives] just have some new leads they're following up on."

History of the case

West Valley City and Taylorsville formed a task force earlier this year to investigate the murder of Sonia Mejia, on Feb. 9, 2006, and Damiana Castillo, on Feb. 9, 2008 Both women were strangled.

Mejia, 29, who was six months pregnant, was last seen alive the morning of her death, when she took her son to school. Mejia's common-law husband came home about 6 p.m. to find her dead in the bedroom of their apartment at 1167 W. Clubhouse Drive (3990 South).

Police have said Castillo's son found her dead inside her apartment at 4000 S. Redwood Road. She was 57.