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(Kearns, UT) -- The two men accused of attacking a Kearns teenager with a medieval battle-ax face a serious charge: attempted murder with injury.
Scott Stapley and Cody Augustine allegedly lured Justin Ennis out of his Kearns home through text messages on Tuesday, July 29. The two were angry with Ennis over a problem with a girl.
Police say Stapley slashed Ennis with a four-bladed battle-ax. Court documents say Augustine then stabbed Ennis all over his body.
When police arrested the two, they were booked into jail on aggravated assault charges, but the county attorney's office filed a more severe charge: one count each for attempted murder with injury.
Deputy District Attorney Alicia Cook says, "The thing that distinguishes aggravated assault from attempted homicide is the mens rea (guilty mind). We have to have an intent to kill, that what this defendant was doing was trying to kill the person they're attacking."
Brian Ennis, Justin's father, says, "These people weren't trying to scare him, they were trying to kill him. All this over some conflict with a girl."
As for the attempted murder charge, Brian Ennis adds, "That's what I believe they deserve. I feel for their families, but they made a bad decision, and they have to answer for it." If convicted, Cook says, "I believe the minimum term is three years, but the possible term is up to life."
Justin Ennis is still in critical condition. His father thinks it will be at least two days before he gets out of the intensive care unit. It took 300 stitches and 30 staples to close Justin's neck. Doctors also had to remove part of his colon because of internal injuries.
E-mail: gkennedy@ksl.com
