Mother of teen murder suspect admits to obstructing justice

Mother of teen murder suspect admits to obstructing justice


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MOAB — The mother of one of two 17-year-olds charged with murder in the death of a Grand County man has admitted that she lied to investigators.

Corina Dawn Yardley, 44, was charged in 7th District Court with two counts of obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. On Tuesday she pleaded guilty to both counts, which were reduced to class A misdemeanors as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Court records show Yardley lied to Grand County sheriff's investigators when she was interviewed about her son's involvement in the shooting death of her boyfriend, Gregorio Campos.

"I did this twice," Yardley wrote in court papers filed Tuesday.

Campos' sister reported him missing in late March. An informant pointed investigators to Charles Anthony "Tony" Nelson, who was 16 years old at the time, because Nelson "told a friend he had killed someone," a Grand County Jail report states.

"Tony went on to say that the person was an illegal, so no one will miss him," the report states.

Investigators interviewed Nelson. They said the teen told them Yardley's son, Brody Blu Kruckenberg, called him on March 25 and informed him that Campos was asleep in his mother's bed. Kruckenberg, who was also 16 at the time, then invited Nelson over.

Nelson told detectives Kruckenberg suggested they kill Campos, but wouldn't shoot the man himself, the report states.

"Tony said it was not his deal, but was talked into doing it by his friend," detectives wrote.

Campos was shot three times in the head, according to an autopsy.

The teens used Yardley's truck to drive Campos to the banks of the Colorado River, then tied his body to a metal bumper and threw it in the water, jail records state. Investigators said the teens led them to the site in early April, where they recovered Campos' body.

Forensic tests conducted in Yardley's bedroom showed evidence of blood in a "large area of the carpet and wall," according to detectives. Investigators said they also determined that the bed in Yardley's bedroom had been replaced five days after the shooting.

As part of her plea agreement with prosecutors, Yardley promised in court papers to "cooperate with law enforcement" and "testify, if needed" against Nelson and her son.

Both teens are charged as adults with murder and obstructing justice. Their preliminary hearings are set for Sept. 25.

Immediately after entering her guilty plea, Yardley was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail with credit for any time she has already served. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,016 and serve 36 months of court-supervised probation. Email: gliesik@deseretnews.com Twitter: GeoffLiesik

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