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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
WEST VALLEY CITY — Murder charges were filed Wednesday against three people in the case of a West Valley man who died trying to stop his friend's trailer from being stolen.
Jay Richard Urry, 41, of Taylorsville; Jeanette Teddie Miner, 26, of Kearns; and Jesse Floyd Searle, 34, of West Valley City, were each charged in 3rd District Court with murder, robbery and burglary, all first-degree felonies, as well as obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.
On Dec. 22, Eric Carter, 49, called 911 to report that someone in a Dodge Ram truck had hooked up a trailer that was parked in his driveway and drove off with it.
"Mr. Carter stated that he was hanging onto the white Dodge Ram as it traveled on Royal Ann Drive," according to charging documents.
At one point, the truck stopped and Miner told Searle to "get him off the truck," the charges state. Police say Searle then pushed Carter, who fell to the ground.
"Miner then accelerated quickly. In the rearview mirror, Miner saw Mr. Carter get struck by the trailer and felt the bump as the trailer traveled over Mr. Carter's body," according to the charges. "Urry stated that Miner exclaimed that they ran over Mr. Carter."
Police responding to the area found Carter dead in the middle of the road near 5000 W. Royal Ann Dr. (4490 South). A medical examiner ruled Carter's cause of death as blunt force trauma to his head.
Before he died, Carter was able to give emergency dispatchers the license plate number of the truck. As officers were responding to the home of Miner, who is the registered owner of the vehicle, she called police to report that her truck had been stolen in an attempt to thwart the investigation, the charges state.
Urry and Searle had borrowed Miner's truck earlier in the day and had allegedly stolen the trailer and several other items from Carter's residence. They returned later with Miner to steal more items, according to the charges.
But Carter arrived at his house before the trio left and attempted to get the trailer back, which he had borrowed from a friend.
Prior to being run over, the truck stopped at a church parking lot, 4420 S. Early Duke St. (5100 West). Urry claims he tried to unhitch the trailer but couldn't do it because Carter was still standing on the tongue, the charges state.
The trailer and truck were abandoned in different places in an attempt to throw off investigators, police said.
Bail for all three was set at $1 million.
