Roy man pleads guilty in shooting death of father

Roy man pleads guilty in shooting death of father


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FARMINGTON — A Roy man has pleaded guilty to amended charges in the 2011 shooting death of his father.

Joseph Allen Nance, 30, was originally charged in 2nd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, in connection with the death of Gregory Nance, 52, at a Kaysville motel on March 19, 2011.

But Joseph Nance pleaded guilty to manslaughter and obstructing justice, second-degree felonies, during a hearing on April 15.

Kaysville police were called to room 21 of the Far West Motel, 410 N. Main, after receiving reports that shots had been fired and found Gregory Nance lying on the bed with multiple gunshot wounds, charging documents state. He died at the scene.

Joseph Nance was found about 4 a.m. the next day hiding in an underground bunker in a wooded area of Layton.

"The defendant admitted to shooting his father, claiming he did so in self-defense," the original charges state.


Sentencing has been set for May 20, when Nance will face a possible sentence of one to 15 years in prison on each count.

Police said Joseph Nance got involved in a fight between his parents and later ended up shooting his father after his mother left. Nance's sister, though, has said that while her brother said their father was beating their mother, the woman showed no signs of abuse.

A statement in support of Joseph Nance's guilty plea filed in court said the man "was suffering from a mental illness … and misperceived the nature of the victim's actions as threatening." The statement said Nance found the gun in a dresser of his father's room and later disposed of it by throwing it into a creek.

Sentencing has been set for May 20, when Nance will face a possible sentence of one to 15 years in prison on each count. Prosecutors will not oppose Nance being given credit for time he has already served, according to court documents.

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