Police: Son beat 70-year-old father to death in 'brutal attack'


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MT. OLYMPUS — Police say they believe a 70-year-old man killed in a "brutal attack" Friday morning died at the hands of his son.

Christopher Robbins, 29, was arrested and booked into Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of murder after police responded to a domestic violence call about 6 a.m. at 4465 S. Matthews Way and found Dennis Robbins beaten to death.

"When officers arrived here, they came to investigate a domestic violence case," Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said. "They found that the victim in this case was deceased and appeared to be the victim of a very brutal attack."

Police were delayed until noon in investigating the death out of concern for possible explosives in Christopher Robbins' bedroom.

"We didn't know how credible that was, but whenever we receive information like that, we have to take it seriously," Hoyal said.

Neighbors were asked to stay in their homes until the threat was cleared.

Police said they were familiar with conflicts in the home prior to Friday.

"There is history here at the home that involves tensions in the family," Salt Lake County Sheriff James Winder said. "It appears to be predicated on potentially some mental illness associated with (Christopher Robbins)."

Investigators said a weapon was also used in Dennis Robbins' death, but no additional details were released Friday.

Court records indicate Christopher Robbins is a registered sex offender. He pleaded guilty in 2004 to enticing a minor over the Internet, a second-degree felony. He also pleaded guilty in 2011 to failure to register as a sex offender, amended to a class A misdemeanor.

Contributing: Whitney Evans

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