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PROVO, Utah (AP) — Relatives of two Utah teenagers who were killed and dumped in an abandoned mine shaft are calling for prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against the man charged in their deaths. Jerrod Baum pleaded not guilty Monday to aggravated murder and other charges in the deaths of 17-year-old Brelynne "Breezy" Otteson and 18-year-old Riley Powell. Baum is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 12.
ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A 50-year-old former police detective in Mesquite, Nevada, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Utah to sexually exploiting a teenager. Court records show that Gary Erickson of Bunkerville, Nevada, avoided trial with his plea on Monday to a charge of crossing state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Erickson is expected to face up to five years in prison at sentencing Oct. 8.
WOODS CROSS, Utah (AP) — A Utah police chief defended an officer who pulled his gun on a 10-year-old black boy, saying the officer believed the child might be an armed suspect and will keep working during an independent review. Woods Cross Police Chief Chad Soffe said Monday that the unidentified officer mistook the boy for a potential suspect, but used good judgment overall. Jerri Hrubes said a white Woods Cross police officer pulled his gun on her son, DJ Hrubes, who is black, while he was playing on the front lawn.
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah ski resort where Gwyneth Paltrow is accused of smashing into a skier wants to be dismissed from a lawsuit that it argues should be settled between the actress and the alleged victim. Deer Valley Resort attorney Adam Strachan said during a hearing Monday in Park City, Utah, that the ski area is shielded from responsibilities for skiing collisions under a law that takes into account the inherent dangers of skiing. Paltrow wasn't at the hearing.
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