Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MANTI — A man convicted of shooting a man during a carjacking in Nevada is just beginning to answer to charges of a 2011 double homicide in Utah.
After five months, two defense attorneys qualified to handle death penalty cases have taken the case of Logan Welles McFarland, 27, who appeared in court Wednesday. McFarland is charged with two counts of aggravated murder, a capital offense, and could potentially face the death penalty for the deaths of Leroy and Dorothy Ann Fullwood. The couple were killed in their Mt. Pleasant home in December 2011 during a violent crime spree.
Following the killings, police say McFarland and his girlfriend, Angela Hill, 26, fled to Nevada and committed a series of crimes that included a carjacking in which the driver was shot in the head, a car theft, and a high-speed chase. They were arrested on Jan. 3, 2012, near the small town of Oasis, Nevada, between Wendover and Wells, after they were tracked down by U.S. marshals.
Before he was returned to Utah to face the murder charges, McFarland was found guilty in Nevada and sentenced last year to up to 56 years in prison for those crimes. He will have to serve at least 21 years before he's eligible for parole.
McFarland was extradited to Utah and made his first court appearance in February. The next hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 26.
"The deputies have been to Nevada and brought everything back," said Sanpete County Attorney Brody Keisel. "It has been some time since the actual deaths occurred, but things are happening, I assure you."
The deputies have been to Nevada and brought everything back. It has been some time since the actual deaths occurred, but things are happening, I assure you.
–Sanpete County Attorney Brody Keisel
In addition to the deaths, McFarland is charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; and burglary and theft of a firearm, second-degree felonies.
Hill is also charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; and burglary and theft of a firearm, second-degree felonies. Since she is currently serving prison time in Nevada, prosecutors are not pursuing the charges against her for the moment, but do expect to extradite her to Sanpete County in the future.
According to charging documents filed in 6th District Court in Manti last year, McFarland was dropped off by Hill and another woman near the Fullwood residence on Dec. 29, 2011. He allegedly told them "he wanted to get some 'stuff' from a garage so he could get some money."
When McFarland caught up with Hill later, he had a large duffel bag filled with stolen property, including guns and jewelry, the charges state. He also admitted to using a gun, according to police.
The next day, McFarland called a relative and told him a "mission" had "gone south," charging documents state. He later allegedly told the relative that he had "dispatched lives" in Sanpete County.
McFarland already faced burglary charges for allegedly stealing guns and jewelry from the Fullwoods' residence. He was also charged in 2012 in 3rd District Court with identity fraud, unlawful acquisition of a credit card and unlawful use of a credit card for allegedly withdrawing more than $1,300 from another man's account and opening a Discover card account under a second man's name and making $500 in purchases.
