Man involved in 1996 Motel 6 murder convicted of human trafficking

Man involved in 1996 Motel 6 murder convicted of human trafficking

(Utah State Prison)


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FARMINGTON — A man involved in the 1996 murder of a Motel 6 clerk in Woods Cross has now been convicted of human trafficking.

Todd Jeremy Rettenberger agreed to a plea deal on Thursday, pleading guilty to human trafficking, a second-degree felony; and exploiting a prostitute, a second-degree felony. In exchange, charges of engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, aggravated exploitation of a prostitute, a second count of human trafficking, obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness were dismissed, according to the Utah Attorney General's Office.

He was immediately sentenced to 1 to 15 years in the Utah State Prison for the human trafficking violation and up to 5 years for the prostitution conviction, the attorney general's office said.

According to charging documents, Rettenberger forced at least two women into prostitution. The women told authorities that he kept most of the money they were paid by johns, and that they were fearful of leaving him.

One woman said she began working for Rettenberger because she was a heroin addict, the charges state.

"After she began working for the defendant, however, she felt that he owned her and that if she didn’t do what he said, she would get in trouble. (She) stated she often wanted to quit working as a prostitute but the defendant used various tactics to keep her working. If she wanted to leave, he would remind her that she needed heroin and working for him was the only way to get it," according to charging documents.

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Another woman said Rettenberger once made a reference to her about the Motel 6 murder as a way of intimidating her, the charges state.

Rettenberger was part of a lengthy, complex saga involving the murder of Matthew John Whicker, 30, during a Motel 6 robbery in 1996, and once confessed to the deadly shooting. He was one of two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old arrested for the killing.

In 1999, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that his statements could not be used because police lied and manipulated him to get the confession. He later testified that he was the lookout and the getaway driver during the crime.

Three years later, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter as part of a plea deal. He received a suspended sentence and was freed.

In 2011, Rettenberger pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual exploitation of a prostitute and attempted money laundering, and a judge ordered him to serve five years in prison. He was paroled in November of 2015.

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Pat Reavy

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