Estimated read time: 2-3 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
SALT LAKE CITY — A man who pleaded guilty and mentally ill to stabbing people at random outside a downtown grocery store three years ago has been sentenced to prison.
Kiet Thanh Ly, 37, was sentenced Monday to two terms of three years to life in prison, which will run concurrently. He pleaded guilty and mentally ill in September to two counts of attempted murder, a second-degree felony. In exchange for his plea, three counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, were dismissed.
Third District Judge Vernice Trease left it to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to decide whether Ly will receive credit for the time he has served since his April 2012 arrest.
- Sentence:
3 years to life (2 terms) - Plead guilty and mentally ill:
Attempted murder (2 counts) - Charges dismissed:
Aggravated assault (3 counts)
Ly was arrested April 26, 2012, after police say he went into a downtown Smith's Marketplace, 455 S. 500 East, purchased a knife, then came back outside to use it. Ly stabbed a 30-year-old man several times in the abdomen, according to a police report, and attempted to stab several other people who were able to get away.
A second victim, a 45-year-old man, was cut several times on his arm and received a stab wound to his head.
A bystander who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon saw what was happening and drew his gun, charging Ly and managing to detain him until police arrived.
Criminal history
Utah court records show Ly had many run-ins with police dating back to 1997, including in the weeks prior to the stabbing.
In 2011, Ly was convicted on an amended charge of attempted assault on a police officer. In that incident, Ly refused to leave an acquaintance's house, claiming he was homeless, according to court records. When police arrived, Ly took a stance as if he was going to throw punches. He then damaged a police car while being transported to jail.
Also in 2011, Ly was convicted on an amended charge of attempted aggravated assault for threatening a Department of Workforce Services employee with a knife, according to court records.
