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Man killed West Jordan couple shortly after robbing them, charges state


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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who prosecutors say killed a West Jordan couple last month told officers he came to their home to rob them, and then killed the couple after returning to the home to retrieve keys he had left behind, according to charges filed Wednesday.

Albert Enoch Johnson, 31, of West Jordan, was charged in Utah’s 3rd District Court with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated burglary — all of which are first-degree felonies. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a restricted person and one count of obstruction of justice, all second-degree felonies, in relation to the April 18 incident.

Those charges were filed a day after Johnson was extradited back to Utah from California, where he was arrested on April 22. He was booked into Salt Lake County Jail about 8 p.m. Tuesday, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said during a Wednesday news conference.

Johnson is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Friday, Utah court records show. Gill also acknowledged aggravated murder cases carry the possibility of the death penalty; that said, his office has still not made a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty in this case.

Suspect shares details of crime with police

The charging document sheds more light on what transpired during the early hours of April 18. Authorities responding to a report of possible shots fired found the bodies of Tony and Katherine Butterfield about 1:15 a.m. that day. Tony Butterfield died from a gunshot wound to the head; Katherine Butterfield died from a single gunshot wound to her torso. The couple’s three young children were also home at the time but weren't physically harmed.

In an interview with police following his arrest, Johnson admitted to killing the Butterfields, according to the document. It states Johnson told authorities he knew the couple and had come to the home with the understanding they had money.

"(Johnson) stated that he had been worried about his own finances, so he went to the Butterfield's home to 'get money,'" Gill said, reading from the charging document.

LIVE: Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill is holding a press conference with an update on the double homicide of Tony and Katherine Butterfield of West Jordan

Posted by KSL 5 TV on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Johnson told police he was wearing a mask when he arrived at the home and kicked in the door before pointing a gun at Tony Butterfield and asking for money. Johnson said he then left with $20 and two cellphones, according to the document. When he had gotten back to his car, Johnson realized he didn't have his car keys and returned to the home.

"He returned to the Butterfields' house and Tony was standing inside the door. Tony saw Johnson without his mask on and addressed Johnson by his first name and asked him 'why?'" Gill said. "Tony then started stabbing Johnson to prevent him from coming back into the house. Johnson said that it was so painful that he shot Tony. Katherine began screaming and Johnson thought that he saw a neighbor nearby, so Johnson shot Katherine."

Johnson then picked up the keys he left behind and fled to his apartment. Police quickly identified him as a suspect in the double homicide based on evidence collected at the scene, Gill explained. Investigators gathered information that Johnson was stabbed during an altercation with the homeowners.

Tracking down the alleged killer

Authorities went to Johnson's apartment and located blood in "several areas of the home," as well as a shotgun and $200 cash inside a book.

"Johnson's clothing and shoes that he was wearing at the time of the alleged homicides, all of which were stained with a significant amount of blood, was retrieved from a dumpster near his home after having been placed there by his wife on the morning of the homicides," Gill said.

Surveillance video from inside the home also captured portions of the initial break-in, according to the charging documents. It states that the video appears to show Johnson entering the home and forcing the Butterfields out of their bed and into a lower level of the home, and that Johnson can be heard on the audio demanding money from them.


I will just tell you it was quite remarkable to identify the perpetrator so very, very rapidly and then start to get a fix on his movements so, ultimately, we could work with the California authorities and bring him into custody.

–West Jordan Police Chief Ken Wallentine


Authorities issued a warrant for Johnson's arrest on April 20. During the investigation, West Jordan police said they received tips that Johnson had fled to California the day of the homicides. One tipster gave police an exact location in Stockton, California, where Johnson was arrested by U.S. Marshals on April 22.

Johnson also told police he threw the gun used in the double homicide into the Sacramento River once he got to California, charging documents state.

West Jordan Police Chief Ken Wallentine, who also attended Wednesday's press briefing, didn't go into too much detail into who led police to contact authorities in California.

"I will just tell you it was quite remarkable to identify the perpetrator so very, very rapidly and then start to get a fix on his movements so, ultimately, we could work with the California authorities and bring him into custody," Wallentine said.

Johnson’s wife, Sina Johnson, was charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, on April 23. She told police her husband "was familiar" with the Butterfields because he had attempted to get a job with the landscaping business the Butterfields owned, according to charging documents.

She made her initial court appearance on April 27 and a scheduling conference in her case is slated for Monday, according to court records. Salt Lake County Jail records show she remained in custody Wednesday.

'3 orphan children'

The Butterfields were laid to rest after a funeral on April 25. They were remembered as a fun-loving and hardworking couple.

Gill said that prosecutors met with members of the Butterfield family just before filing charges Wednesday morning. Wallentine thanked his officers who worked on the case.

"In a fairly long tenure as a law enforcement officer, I've seen a number of homicide cases. Each and every one is an assault on our community, as is this one," Wallentine said. "We're very mindful of the tremendous heartache, and we're very mindful that we're also doing our work here with three orphan children."

Contributing: Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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