Man killed woman over cellphone, stabbed man who came to her aid, police say

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SALT LAKE CITY — Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing and killing a woman in 2018 in a fight over a cellphone, then stabbing another man who came to her aid.

Kidus Chane Yohannes, 34, was booked into the Salt lake County Jail early Monday for investigation of aggravated murder and attempted murder in the Nov. 7, 2018, stabbing death of Candace Rose Samples, 20.

Investigators said evidence collected at the scene of the crime was not processed and returned until May.

Samples was stabbed in the parking lot of a Dollar Tree store, 477 N. 300 West in Salt Lake City. Witnesses told police that Samples and another man had stolen Yohannes's cellphone at the nearby Marmalade branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, according to an arrest report.

"The suspect chased the female across the street and was holding her at knifepoint demanding that he get his cellphone back," the report states.

Police say Yohannes let the other man go, believing that Samples still had his phone. Yohannes "made statements to witnesses and the female victim that he would kill for his phone while holding her at knifepoint," according to the report.

Witnesses who were at the scene then told another man that Samples was being held at knifepoint. The man tried to help Samples, but Yohannes stabbed him several times to his face, hands, ribs and shoulders, the report says. He then turned to Samples and stabbed her repeatedly "all over her body" before running away from the scene, the police affidavit alleges.

Samples was taken to University of Utah Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. An autopsy later revealed she had more than 26 stab wounds on her body, according to police.

The other stabbing victim, who was not identified, was hospitalized in critical condition but survived.

Investigators identified Yohannes through surveillance camera video from a nearby convenience store, according to the report.

Forensic testing was finally conducted in May and blood found on Yohannes' clothing when he was arrested was identified as being from Samples, the affidavit states.

Investigators are asking that Yohannes be held without bail. They say he "has been known to carry and has been arrested or detained several times since this incident with sharp force weapons" and is "an extreme danger to the safety of the public," the report says.