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LOGAN — A Smithfield man charged with inviting his father to his home and then murdering him will enter a plea in the case next month, his attorney said Tuesday.
Shane Alan Hallstrom, 25, waived a preliminary hearing Tuesday and will return for a plea hearing Oct. 13. Brought to court shackled and in a uniform labeled "CCSO max inmate," Hallstrom spoke quietly only to waive his right to the hearing that would have presented prosecutors' evidence against him.
His attorney, Bryan Galloway, did not discuss the terms of the possible deal but said Hallstrom is expected to resolve the case without proceeding to trial.
"The plan is we're trying to work out a plea that will be, as I said, beneficial to Shane," Galloway said following the hearing.
The defense attorney said that while the outcome of the case will likely be punitive, he hopes it will include treatment for Hallstrom.
"We'd like as many evaluations and things as possible to go into his file so that, wherever he ends up, at least they'll have a nice, big comprehensive file so that they know who Shane is and what his issues are and how to help him," Galloway said.
Hallstrom is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of his father, Calvin Leon Hallstrom, 58. The charge carries a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
On April 28 Hallstrom invited his father to his Smithfield house, 380 E. 160 South, to spend the evening together, according to police. Hallstrom lived with his mother, who filed for divorce in 1994.
When Calvin Hallstrom arrived at the house, Shane Hallstrom hugged him and then jumped onto his back, pulling out a knife and stabbing him repeatedly in the neck, according to a police affidavit. As his mother rushed inside to call 911, she reported seeing her son "slamming Calvin's head on the concrete."
Neighbors who witnessed the stabbing told police that when they offered to help Calvin Hallstrom, his son told them, "I just stabbed my dad. I'm the one who stabbed him," according to the affidavit.
When police arrived, they found Shane Hallstrom "was kneeling just a few feet from where Calvin's body was lying" with a "blank stare" on his face, Smithfield Police Chief Travis Allen said at the time.
Calvin Hallstrom's mother told police her son, who lives with her, had been happy that Shane Hallstrom had called him and he looked forward to repairing their relationship. Calvin Hallstrom planned to take his son to dinner at Chuck-O-Rama and had borrowed his mother's car to go to the restaurant to check on prices, withdraw money from the bank and to pick up Shane Hallstrom from his home, the affidavit states.
Shane Hallstrom has no prior criminal history in Utah, according to court records.
Hallstrom was found competent in August to face the murder charge. He is now being evaluated regarding possible mental illness and options for treatment in preparation for the plea, Galloway said.
"We're going to try to try to determine if he, in fact, has a mental illness and to what degree that mental illness has an effect on him at this particular time," Galloway said. "We're trying to look into every possible resource available to resolve this case within the system."
Galloway described his client as an "isolationist," a trait that has been exacerbated while behind bars.
"He isolates himself from society, he did that a great deal prior to being arrested," Galloway said. "He does not bother the jailers or the staff for anything. He doesn't even ask if there is money on his books, he just stays completely to himself and doesn't want to associate with people."
The case has been especially tragic for Hallstrom's family, which was already dealing with the loss of Hallstrom's sister when he allegedly killed his father. The suicide death of Ashley Hallstrom, a transgender woman, attracted national attention.
"(Hallstrom) had a hard time dealing with the death of that sibling, and I think that still weighs heavily on him," Galloway said. "That person was probably the one person in Shane's life that he was close to. The family has had a tough year."
