Ogden • Prosecutors are still sifting through evidence in connection with the death of 16-year-old Alexis Rasmussen, but Weber County Attorney Dee Smith says he is "getting close to making some decisions" in the alleged homicide case.
Smith spoke to reporters Wednesday morning following a brief appearance in 2nd District Court by Dea Millerberg, a person of interest in the Rasmussen case.
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Millerberg, 38, faces third-degree felony prescription drug fraud charges and one third-degree felony count of causing or permitting a child or vulnerable adult to be exposed to a controlled substance. Those charges are unrelated to Rasmussen’s death.
A two-day trial in the drug case was set to begin May 24.
Outside the courtroom, Smith said his office has received reports on nearly all tests requested, including toxicology reports.
"This is a complicated case because of the time that elapsed from her death until the discovery of her body," Smith said.
Also, prosecutors have been bogged down by another high-profile case — the Jan. 4 shooting in Ogden that left one police officer dead and five others injured — which demanded immediate attention, Smith said.
Rasmussen disappeared Sept. 10 while baby-sitting for Millerberg and her husband, 36-year-old Eric Millerberg.
Rasmussen’s body was found Oct. 18 in a shallow grave near the Weber River in Morgan County.
Smith would not comment when asked if a cause of death had been determined.
Dea Millerberg has been free on $15,000 bail since Dec. 6. Eric Millerberg, meanwhile, was sent back to prison for a probation violation unrelated to Rasmussen’s death.
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