Grim tally: A look at each of Utah's homicide victims of 2022

SALT LAKE CITY — There were 80 homicides in Utah during 2022, which is down from 95 homicides in 2021 and the lowest number in four years, according to KSL.com statistics.

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Here is a look at each of the Utah homicide victims and how they were killed in 2022.

1．HOOPER, Weber County, Jan. 4 — Adam Winters, 41, was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with Weber County sheriff's deputies who were originally called to a domestic violence incident in the area of 5250 W. 3650 South. Investigators say Winters got into an argument with his wife and a shot was fired. When deputies arrived, they found Winters outside his house. An investigation by the Weber County Attorney's Office concluded that Winters ran at deputies while pointing a gun at them. He then took cover behind a vinyl fence and, at some point, climbed on top of the fence. Deputy McFarland fired a round at him. Winters then fired two rounds in the direction of the deputy and the deputy fired two more rounds, hitting and killing Winters. The shooting was determined to be legally justified by the Weber County Attorney's Office. Method: Shooting Motive: Self-defense

2, 3． WEST VALLEY CITY, Jan. 13 — Tivani Lopati, 14, and Paul Tahi, 15, were shot and killed about a block away from Hunter High School, near 4100 South at Mountain View Corridor, during an altercation with another student. Ephraim Asiata, 15, was also shot and critically injured. A 14-year-old boy arrested in connection to the shooting told police that he and his friends had been "harassed" by the other group. All three victims were Hunter High football players. The 14-year-old was originally charged with two counts of murder. He pleaded guilty in juvenile court to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to juvenile detention until he turns 21. Method: Shooting Motive: Fight

4．LOGAN, Jan. 15 — A 46-day-old boy, Michael Loyd Woirhaye, found malnourished and unresponsive on Dec. 31, 2021, in a Logan motel died at Primary Children's Hospital after being placed on life support for two weeks. Zachary Michael Woirhaye, 38, and Jodi Lee Anderson, 34, who had been living in the motel for several weeks, are charged with aggravated murder. Method: Abuse/malnutrition Motive: Unknown domestic

5．SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 23 — Anetupou Niualiku, 50, was killed in a shooting near 130 S. 800 West. Police and paramedics attempted life-saving efforts but were unsuccessful. No arrests have been made in the case. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown

6．SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 30 — Megan Joyce Mohn, 40, died at a hospital 19 days after she was detained by police. A security guard at a business reported she was chasing cars while holding a piece of rebar at 400 W. 900 North. As officers tried to detain her, Mohn began resisting and kicked one officer several times. She was then placed from a seated position onto her stomach. Mohn continued screaming and kicking, causing officers to use a leg restraint device. Once placed into the restraint, Mohn stopped resisting and yelling. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where she later died. The medical examiner determined Mohn's manner of death to be homicide and the cause to be "anoxic brain injury" due to "cardiac arrest" from "probable methamphetamine intoxication in the setting of an altercation involving physical restraint." The case is under investigation by three separate groups. Method: Drugs, physical restraint Motive: Unknown

7．SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 11 — Zhifan Dong, 19, of Anyan, China, was found dead in a room at the Quality Inn, 616 S. 200 West. Police say she was injected with a fatal dose of drugs by her boyfriend who purchased them off the dark web. Haoyu Wang, 26, who is also from China, is charged with murder. Both were students at the University of Utah. Dong's parents say several attempts were made by Dong to get help in the weeks leading up to her death. On Feb. 11, Wang sent an email to a U. housing administrator saying he and Dong had decided to take their own lives together. When police found the couple, Wang allegedly told officers that he had also "tried to kill himself." In December, Wang was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. Method: Drugs Motive: Unknown domestic

8．DRAPER, Feb, 16 — Kenny Duane Hall, 57, an inmate at the old Utah State Prison in Draper, was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 11 and died at a local hospital on Feb. 16. An autopsy determined "the preliminary cause of death for the victim was blunt force trauma and asphyxia." Investigators say Hall's cellmate — the only person in the room with Hall — appeared to have blood stains on his pants when officers made the discovery. "Corrections officers also noted that a towel had been tightly wrapped around the victim's legs." The Utah Department of Public Safety says a suspect has been identified and criminal charges are being prepared, but they are not releasing any other information until charges are filed. Method: Beating, strangling Motive: Unknown

9．SOUTH JORDAN, Feb. 17 — Zachary Tyler Alvarenga, 25, of West Jordan, was shot and killed by police after leading officers on three separate car chases and firing multiple rounds at them. During the final confrontation, West Jordan police K-9 Maya, a 6½-year-old Belgian Malinois who had been with the department since 2018, was hit and killed. Eight officers from three agencies — West Jordan, South Jordan and Unified police departments — returned fire, killing Alvarenga. Alvarenga was a Utah Department of Corrections officer at the time of his death and a member of the Utah National Guard. The shooting remains under investigation by the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

10．ST. GEORGE, Feb. 17 — Oscar Alcantara, 30, was shot and killed during a standoff with police as he held an infant at gunpoint near the Utah-Arizona border. Police said they were looking for Alcantara after he had brandished a gun the previous weekend. The SUV he was in was pulled over and a woman got out. But Alcantara jumped in the driver's seat with the woman's son still in the car. Police pursued the man through St. George, Santa Clara, Ivins and into Mohave County, Arizona. The SUV stopped near Beaver Dam, Arizona. Alcantara ran from the vehicle into an open field while holding both the infant and a gun. Officers from Utah and Arizona surrounded the man and contacted him by phone. Despite efforts to get Alcantara to drop his gun and end the standoff, he was shot and killed by an officer with the St. George Police Department Tactical Team. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

11．WEST VALLEY CITY, Feb. 23 — Carol Galentine, 26, of West Valley City, was hit and killed at the intersection of 3600 West and Parkway Boulevard (2700 South) by a Toyota Tundra that ran a red light and smashed into her and another car, according to police. Originally, Jair Ivan Bautista, 28, of Kearns, was arrested for investigation of automobile homicide. But questions were then raised about whether Bautista or a woman who was also in the car was driving. DNA evidence later showed that Cristal Erica Garcia, 30, of Salt Lake City, was driving. She is charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident involving death. Method: Vehicle Alleged motive: Negligence

12．WEST JORDAN, Feb. 26 — Cesar Adan Martinez, 37, of Salt Lake City, was killed after being stabbed and then thrown from a moving vehicle onto the Bangerter Highway near 8000 South. Mario Alberto Carreto-Morales, 24, and Raul Jaimes Cortez, 30, had planned to rob Martinez and stabbed him during an argument in his vehicle after they had offered to drive him home, police said. Carreto-Morales, of Magna, is charged with aggravated murder, while Cortez, also of Magna, is charged with murder. Seferino Ruiz, 55, of West Valley City, was later arrested for investigation of obstructing justice in the case. Method: Stabbing Alleged motive: Robbery

13．BLUFFDALE, March. 11 — The bodies of Jessica Ann Davis, 37, and William Craig Davis, 37, were found in their home near 15100 S. Wild Horse Way. Police had been asked to conduct a welfare check on the couple whom their family had not heard from since March 7. The couple was found lying on a bed together, both deceased from gunshot wounds to the head. A suicide note was recovered at the scene. An autopsy determined Jessica Davis' manner of death to be homicide and William Davis' to be suicide. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

14．SALT LAKE CITY, March 26 — Matthew Henry Cieslak, 38, of Idaho, was shot and killed by police after first carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint on the 600 South off-ramp from I-15 and then leading police on a chase. The chase ended in the area of 220 S. Orange Street (1350 West) where two to three dozen shots between Cieslak and two Salt Lake police officers were exchanged and he was killed. Friends, however, say that was not the man they knew. Cieslak was remembered as a decorated war veteran with the Utah National Guard, who served several tours of duty, and in 2010, received the prestigious Utah Cross award while serving with the Utah Army National Guard's 197th Special Troops Company and saving a man's life in Cambodia. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Self-defense

15．OREM, March 26 — Sandra Robles, 20, was strangled to death by her boyfriend during an argument over a vape pen, police said. Daniel Padilla-Ang, 27, then took several shots of alcohol and called 911 to confess, police say. Padilla-Ang pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Method: Strangled Motive: Domestic fight

16, 17．DRAPER, April 3 — Austin Terry Powell, 27, and Jonathan July Fuentes, 21, were shot and killed outside an AirBnB rental where a party was being thrown. The homeowner discovered the party at his residence, 11464 Cranberry Hill (280 East), and kicked everyone out. As people were leaving, an uninvited guest got into an argument with Powell outside the house over bottles being thrown in the street. Ashtyn Ernesto Ortega, 18, of Herriman, and Daniel Martinez, 17, of Lehi, are each charged with two counts of murder. Police say during the argument, Martinez was throwing beer bottles and asked Ortega for his gun. Ortega handed a gun to Martinez, who then "danced or skipped down the street while shooting" about 10 rounds, charges say. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Fight

18．SALT LAKE CITY, April 4 — Charlotte Sturgeon, 29, of Taylorsville was struck by an SUV driven by her husband in the parking structure of Salt Lake City International Airport after the couple had just arrived home from a vacation. Shawn Christopher Sturgeon, 38, had a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit and had been arguing loudly with his wife prior to backing over her before she got in the vehicle and then running over her again moving forward. Sturgeon pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison. Method: Vehicle Motive: Domestic fight

19．MAGNA, April 8 — Fernando Ruesga, 20, of Magna, was found dead inside his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds to the head at the Colony Farms apartment complex, 2617 S. Ponsonby Street. A witness said Noah Ezequiel Valenzuela Sanchez, 22, and Ruesga had gotten into a fight before separating and each going to his own car. As Ruesga began to drive away, Sanchez pulled out a gun and fired at him 13 times, according to police. Sanchez is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown

20．RANDOLPH, Rich County, April 10 — The body of Sophia Lower, 22, of Layton, was found by four teenage boys riding dirt bikes about five miles west of Randolph. Lower was reported missing out of Layton on March 29. An autopsy could not determine her manner of death. The Rich County Sheriff's Office has called her case an open investigation but otherwise has provided few updates. Lower's family believes foul play was involved in her death. Method: Unknown Motive: Unknown

21．ST. GEORGE, April 13 — Lisa Diane Breinholt, 45, was stabbed to death in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Jonathan D. Cross, 43. Police said the couple got into an argument at 2075 S. Sir Monte Drive, and Cross "used force to gain entry into the room he and Lisa shared." Investigators found evidence that they say showed Breinholt "met her demise in an extremely violent and brutal manner." Cross is charged with murder. Method: Stabbing Alleged motive: Domestic fight

22．WEST VALLEY CITY, April 30 — Willie Clarence Houston, 59, was stabbed and killed at the Aspenwood Apartments, 4178 S. 4080 West. Deon Andre Jennings, 30, who lived in the same complex, told police he and Houston were "hanging out" and drinking beer in Houston's apartment when they got into an argument. At one point during the argument, Houston told Jennings he needed to leave, but Jennings refused. Houston then walked outside his apartment to make a phone call and when he returned, Jennings stabbed Houston, according to police. "Jennings indicated his only goal after stabbing Houston was to go to a store and buy more beer," police said. Jennings is charged with murder. Method: Stabbing Alleged motive: Fight

23, 24. EAGLE MOUNTAIN, May 2 — Odin Jeffrey Ratliff, 3, and Hunter Charlie Jackson, 3, were playing with toy trucks in a horse corral when a car traveling at a high speed crashed into the building near 2300 North and 16000 West, killing them. Kent Cody Barlow, 26, is charged with two counts of manslaughter and possession or use of a controlled substance. Passengers in the car testified that he was showing off his vehicle and driving fast before the crash. Investigators say Barlow also had methamphetamine in his system that day. Barlow was on parole at the time for stealing a Draper police car and leading officers on a chase. Method: Vehicle Alleged motive: Recklessness

25．TOOELE, May 3 — The body of Brooklyn Elise Odland Tyree, 23, of Salt Lake City, was found partially covered by a sleeping bag hidden in sagebrush in the Five Mile Pass Recreation Area after she had been missing for three days. An autopsy determined Tyree had been shot. Police say her ex-boyfriend and father of their 7-month-old child, Brandon Scott Zipperle, 28, of Pleasant Grove, picked Tyree and her baby up ​​at Tyree's apartment on May 3. Police found the child safe with Zipperle. When questioned, Zipperle said he shot Tyree and hid her body and that his fiancée, Elizabeth Ludwig, 28, helped him dispose of Tyree's body, according to police. Zipperle pleaded guilty to murder and will be sentenced Feb. 9. Ludwig is charged with three counts of obstructing justice. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

26．ST. GEORGE, May 7 — Ryan Allen, 37, was shot and killed at 805 S. Dixie Drive, where police say he lived in a mutual intimate relationship with a married couple. KC Steven Comer, 30, called 911 after the shooting, according to police. "During the interview, KC admitted to having heard what he believed to be his wife and Ryan arguing in Ryan's bathroom. KC believed Ryan to be suicidal and armed with a gun," court documents state. At that point, police say Comer got his own gun from a bedroom closet, loaded it, "and determined that he was going to kill Ryan." Comer is accused of walking into the bathroom and shooting Allen until he stopped moving. Comer is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Domestic love triangle

27．WHITE MESA, San Juan County, May 8 — A 5-year-old girl, only identified as "Lilly" and "L.P." was killed in a car crash after her mother's vehicle was stolen. According to police, a woman preparing to leave a home in the Ute Mountain Ute reservation placed her two children in her truck, started it to let it warm up, and then returned inside the home to say goodbye to her sister. The woman's 8-year-old son then ran into the house and said, "The guys are taking the truck." When the woman ran outside, she saw Qwana McCook, 28, of White Mesa, in the driver's seat and Augustice Yellow, 22, in the passenger seat, according to police. McCook is accused of assaulting the mother as she tried to stop him. Lilly remained inside the truck as the men drove off, and an Amber Alert was issued. About 2 ½ hours later, the truck was found after it rolled and crashed near Cahone Mesa on the Navajo Nation. Lilly was ejected from the vehicle. McCook is charged in federal court with murder within Indian Country. Yellow pleaded guilty to withholding information. Method: Vehicle Alleged motive: Robbery, unknown

28．OREM, May 5 — Celina Cruz Maciel, 27, was found dead at her home, 1079 N. 185 West. Her boyfriend with whom she shared two children, Luis Manuel Vargas Lopez, 27, of Orem, claimed they had gotten into an argument earlier in the day, that he left their residence and that when he came back, he found her slumped over in a chair, police said. First responders reported immediately noticing "significant injuries to her face and a puncture wound above her left eyebrow." Police said Lopez's explanations "did not make sense" or align with evidence at the scene. Investigators believe the woman had been dead for some time before 911 was called. Her body was discovered by police on May 9, but her obituary lists her death as May 5. Police said Lopez "tortured the victim, (and) caused serious physical abuse, both of which resulted in her death." Lopez is charged with aggravated murder. Method: Beating Motive: Unknown domestic

29．SOUTH SALT LAKE, May 9 — Romeo Charles Stevens, 27, was shot multiple times and killed near the parking lot of WinCo, 2193 S. Main. Police said McKennalyn Elizabeth Cummins, 24, of Portage, told them she met Stevens on Snapchat and agreed to go on a date with him. When questioned by police, Damian Stafon Coleman Jr., 27, stated that he and his stepbrother, Terrell Jones, 30, and his brother, Stafon Dshawn Coleman, 21, each of Roy, had made a plan to rob Stevens and that Cummins helped set up the robbery. All four are charged with murder, aggravated robbery and obstructing justice. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Robbery

30．SALT LAKE CITY, May 14 — Trevor Francis Bellaccomo, 34, was found with stab wounds to his neck and torso at an Arby's parking lot, 1650 S. State. Detectives determined the attack happened at Resolute Tattoo, 1626 S. State, where the back parking lot was being used as an outdoor concert venue for a punk rock show. Bellaccomo was a well-known animal rights activist and a drummer in several punk rock bands. The concert promoter for the venue, Kevin Tommy Neal, 36, is charged with murder. Surveillance video shows Bellaccomo walking toward the venue and being attacked just as he approached the alley that led to the back parking lot. Neal and Bellaccomo "fought for some time on the ground" before Bellaccomo got up and ran to the Arby's parking lot, charges say. Method: Stabbing Motive: Unknown

31．SPRINGVILLE, May 18 — Lily Conroy, 17, of Springville, was shot by her ex-boyfriend, Masao Kaanga, 19, also of Springville, who then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. Police were asked to conduct a welfare check after Kaanga had told his mother he would be at Hobble Creek Park. When officers arrived, the two were found shot in the front seat of a car. Kaanga was pronounced dead at the scene and Lily was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, where she later died. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

32．PLEASANT GROVE, May 19 — Nicole "Nicki" Peterson, also known as Nicki Dinehart, 40, was shot three times and her body was found in the road in the area of 200 West and 200 North. While emergency crews were still at the scene, her son Gage Anthony Dinehart, 21, approached police and told them, "I just shot my mom," according to charging documents. Peterson's husband told police Dinehart had asked his mother for money earlier in the evening. The husband said later that night she "woke him up and told him she was leaving to go to the bank to get some money and take (her son) to the bar." Dinehart and Peterson then left the house together. Police were called a short time later. Dinehart is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

33．SPRINGVILLE, May 21 — Gregory Shaffer, 42, was shot multiple times and killed at his home, 443 E. 250 West. Police say Hunter Ryan Lamoreaux, 25, a former neighbor, told detectives that "Greg needed to die" and "he had been planning to kill the victim for two months." Lamoreaux also told police he was "upset" regarding a pending divorce and custody dispute between Shaffer and his estranged wife, according to the court records. Lamoreaux is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown

34．SPRINGVILLE, May 25 — Michael L. Huff, 75, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Police confirmed that he was terminally ill, had been to the hospital recently, that he required a feeding tube, was unable to walk and had been struggling as of late and may have been frustrated by that. Detectives were looking deeper into that as part of their ongoing investigation. His stepdaughter, Krista Lynne Mortensen, 33, was accused of shooting Huff and was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of murder. However, criminal charges have not been filed in the case. The Utah County Attorney's Office has requested additional information from police and that information is still pending. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

35．SALT LAKE CITY, May 29 — Robert Barros, 40, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Taylor Gardens apartment complex, 1790 S. West Temple. Investigators say Barros was sitting in his car when another car pulled into the lot behind Barros, blocking the car from being able to leave. Jared Charles Lance, 41, of Kearns, got out of the second car and began shooting Barros, police say. Barros then staggered out of his car before falling to the ground. Lance allegedly took Barros' vehicle and drove off while a second man drove away in the car that Lance had arrived in. That vehicle was later found abandoned a block away. Lance, who had recently served time in federal prison, is charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown

36．KEARNS, May 29 — Rustyn Cristopher Opperman, 20, was stabbed during a fight that allegedly started over a missing cellphone. Anthony Landh Martinez, 20, had walked over to his neighbor's house, 4550 W. 4920 South, but got into a dispute that turned physical, according to charges. Martinez went back to his father's house. A short time later, Opperman and several women came to his door to confront Martinez about a phone that disappeared after the confrontation. Martinez got his father, who began fighting with Opperman outside, police said. Meanwhile, Martinez is accused of retrieving a knife, going out and stabbing Opperman. Martinez is charged with murder. Method: Stabbing Alleged motive: Fight

37．WEST VALLEY CITY, June 4 — Elijah Brown, 23, was shot and killed near 2935 S. Whistling Lane. Police were called on a report of several shots fired near an apartment building at 3:10 a.m. where a party was being held. Brown and another man were shot during a dispute. The other man had critical injuries but survived. No arrests have been made. Method: Shooting Motive: Fight

38．SALT LAKE CITY, June 6 — Anthony Wheatley, 19, was shot and killed during an attempted home invasion. Wheatley was part of a group that planned to rob a man, according to police. Malibu Rose Mawson, 20, arranged to meet up with the man at the Seasons At Pebble Creek apartments, 1616 W. Snow Queen Place (1675 South), by pretending to be romantically interested in him. Shortly after she arrived, there was a knock at the door and three men wearing masks assaulted the man and threatened to kill him. The man's brother arrived at the apartment a short time later, however, and recognized two of the home invaders. During the ensuing struggle, shots were exchanged. Wheatley was killed and two others, including one of the brothers, were shot and injured. Mawson, Erik Virgen, 18, Preston Luke Olsen, 18, and Jaron Andersen, 19, are each charged with aggravated burglary. No one has been charged in connection with the shooting death. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Robbery, possible self-defense

39．GRANTSVILLE, June 6 — Carlisle Merlin Visser, 1, who doctors said had numerous injuries, including a brain bleed, died after being placed on life support at Primary Children's Hospital. The boy's siblings told police that their father, Aaron Visser, 44, was always telling them about their brother "constantly getting injured" in his bedroom by falling off the bed. On the day the boy was taken to the hospital, the siblings said their father got "very upset" about being woken up by the 1-year-old and his twin brother. Visser is charged with murder. Method: Beating Alleged motive: Anger, domestic

40．SPRINGVILLE, June 10 — Johnathan David Hambleton, 38, was shot and killed by an officer after ramming into the officer's vehicle and confronting him with a knife in the Walmart parking lot, 660 S. 1750 West, police said. The officer was the first to arrive at the scene after a man, believed to be Hambleton, called 911 and reported that someone was firing shots in the air near the store. Police said they did not find any evidence that shots had been fired as reported. The officer was placed on standard administrative leave while the incident was investigated. The Utah County Attorney's Office determined the shooting was legally justified. Method: Shooting Motive: Self-defense

41．SALT LAKE CITY, July 2 — Garrison Willie, 36, and another man were shot on a TRAX platform near 900 South and 200 West. The incident involved three men, all in their 20s. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges against the gunman, saying that his actions were in self-defense. The gunman was waiting for a train when Willie and another man continued to approach him in an aggressive manner, even when they knew he had a gun, according to the district attorney. The unidentified gunman continued backing up before shooting the other two men, and then called 911. Method: Shooting Motive: Self-defense

42．SPANISH FORK, July 8 — The body of Ryan Hooley, 49, of Spanish Fork, was found near a dumpster in the area of 1200 North and 400 East. Police say he was stabbed and suffered blunt force trauma. Christian Francis Taele, 28, of Lake Shore, Utah County, is believed to have killed Hooley and then killed another man in Ogden the next day, while claiming he was "directed to by a higher power and to 'purge' the city," according to police. Taele is charged with murder. He was determined to be competent to stand trial in December. Method: Stabbing, beating Motive: Unknown

43．OGDEN, July 9 — Tyler Belinti, 23, died three days after police say they found him hanging from gym equipment at an apartment complex at 2433 Adams Ave. Christian Francis Taele, is accused of walking up to Belinti at random and strangling and kicking him before hanging him from the gym equipment. "The attack was unprovoked and there is no indication that either the suspect or victim have ever spoken prior to the attack," police said. Taele is charged with aggravated murder. He is charged with murder in a Spanish Fork killing from the day before. Method: Strangling, beating Motive: Unknown

44．SALT LAKE CITY, July 10 — Yusuf Jeylani Mohammed, 37, died after suffering a skull fracture from being punched without warning, causing him to fall backward and hit the concrete at 149 W. Pierpont Ave. Kepueli Penisini, 21, who police described as a "complete stranger," punched Mohammed in the face "one time without warning or provocation," according to police. Penisini is charged with manslaughter. Method: Beating Motive: Unknown

45．HEBER CITY, July 14 — Julie Ann Burns, 36, was found dead in her home with a gunshot wound to the head after police were asked to conduct a welfare check. Michael Grant Asman, 35, Burns' boyfriend, is accused of killing her while her children were in the house, and then telling the children to close their eyes as he led them out. Asman was charged with murder but never taken into custody. He was found dead in Oregon from a self-inflicted gunshot wound about a month after the murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

46, 47, 48．WEST JORDAN, July 23 — Fayzan Ali, 18, Ayash Mohamed, 18, and Mohamed Mohamed, 20, all from Millcreek, were attending a party and standing outside the house, 3355 W. 6920 South, when either a car, or multiple cars, drove by and shots were fired. Investigators believe everyone involved in the shooting has gang ties and that the incident was a "targeted" act related to gang activity. It was unknown if the gunmen were attending the party prior to the shooting or if they found out about it and went there looking for the victims. A 16-year-old boy was arrested for investigation of murder. In September, a second man, Quincy Jason Lewis Holt, 20, was charged with obstructing justice for allegedly withholding information from police. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison. Method: Shootings Alleged motive: Gangs

49．LINDON, Aug. 1 — Gavin Hone, 16, of Lindon, was killed after police say a group of teens robbed him during a drug deal, then beat him. During the incident, he fell from a moving vehicle and was run over. Five boys, ages 16 and 17, were arrested and charged. One 17-year-old was convicted of murder in juvenile court, a second of manslaughter. Four of the five boys have been convicted in juvenile court and sentenced to juvenile detention, possibly until they turn 25. Method: Beating, vehicle Alleged motive: Robbery

50．ST. GEORGE, Aug. 3 — Raymond Derek Gladman, 83, of Arizona, was shot and killed by police near the Utah-Arizona border. Police say Gladman was "acting erratically and brandishing a weapon" while going "up and down the on-ramp to the I-15 northbound Port of Entry in St. George." Police and crisis negotiators responded and during the standoff, Gladman pointed a gun at officers, prompting police to shoot him, according to court documents. Gladman's son told St. George News that his father had dementia and Alzheimer's. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

51．DRAPER, Aug. 11 — Remey Rowland, 33, of Salt Lake City, was shot to death in the parking lot of the Heritage Apartments, 11715 S. State, after what police say was a drug deal gone bad. Rowland had agreed to meet Alexis Federico Marquez, 21, who lives at the complex, for a drug deal, according to police. Marquez told officers that he had tried to purchase cocaine from Rowland using counterfeit $100 bills, but he shot Rowland when he saw Rowland reach for something by his driver's side door, according to police. Marquez is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Drugs

52．TAYLORSVILLE, Aug. 17 — Amanda Mayne, 34, of Taylorsville was shot by her ex-husband while waiting for a bus near 3600 W. 4700 South. About 30 minutes later, as officers were canvassing the area, they found the body of Taylor Martin, 26, of West Jordan, nearby who had shot and killed himself. Mayne is the cousin of Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. Family members say Martin had a violent criminal history that included threats to judges and even former Gov. Gary Herbert. Mayne and Martin had not been together for more than a year at the time of the killing. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

53．TOOELE, Aug. 18 — Porchia Patterson, 35, of Tooele, was shot in her apartment bathroom by her husband, who grabbed his keys and walked out after the shooting, leaving her body to be discovered by her young children, according to police. Michael Leroy Patterson, 36, is charged with murder. Police believe the shooting was the culmination of a fight between the couple in their apartment, 870 S. 1050 West. Patterson later called police to surrender. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Domestic fight

54．GUNNISON, Aug. 28 — Ted Davey, 62, an inmate at the Central Utah Correctional Facility, was found dead at the prison's Henry Facility days before he was to be paroled. Police said his death is being investigated as a homicide, but prison officials have provided few details. Family members have told reporters he had asked to be removed from his cellmate. A spokesman with the Utah Department of Public Safety says a suspect has been identified and criminal charges are in the process of being screened, but they are not releasing any other information until charges are filed. Davey had been incarcerated since 2019 and was serving a sentence for four DUI convictions. Method: Unknown, possible strangling Motive: Unknown

55．SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 30 — Deliford Knight, 41, was shot and killed in the street near 150 S. West Temple during a fight outside a sneaker convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Knight and his friends had traveled to Salt Lake City from Florida for the convention "where they engaged in betting matches to defraud people out of money," police said. Deng Mawut Buk, 22; Joshua Goy Riak, 21, of Salt Lake City; and Nogolweit "Nunu" Kug, 18, of Salt Lake City; were part of a group that played a "shell game" with Knight and lost money, according to investigators. After losing, they allegedly became angry and followed Knight into the street. Police believe Kug kicked Knight and then shot him in the chest. Kug, Buk and Riak are charged with murder. All three are documented gang members, according to police. Buk is the brother of Buk Mawut Buk, 23, who is charged with murdering University of Utah football player Aaron Lowe. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Retaliation

56．SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 10 — Bryan Galicia Rodriguez, 17, was shot and killed in the driveway of his home near 500 S. Post Street (950 West) after police say two teens with extensive juvenile records decided to follow him and carjack him at random. Nestor Del Valle, 17, and then 16-year-old Christian Rodriguez, of West Jordan, were charged as adults with murder. Police say the two defendants were looking for another car when they spotted Galicia and started following him. Galicia and his girlfriend were driving home from watching a movie. When they stopped, Christian Rodriguez, wearing a blue bandana over his face, approached the driver's side door to carjack it and fired multiple rounds into the car at Galicia. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Robbery

57．SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 12 — Matthew Allard, 58, was found unconscious near 400 South and 600 West and later pronounced dead at the scene. Although police reported that "suspicious circumstances" were found, it was not determined to be a homicide until an autopsy was completed. A cause of death has not been released. No arrests have been made. Salt Lake police say it remains an active homicide investigation. Method: Unknown Motive: Unknown

58．MIDVALE, Sept. 16 — Len Robles, 16, of Midvale, was shot and killed near 650 W. Wasatch Street in what police believe is a gang-related shooting. But family members of the Hillcrest High student have said they believe he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was shot while walking with friends not far from his home. No arrests have been made in the case. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Gangs

59．SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 25 — Lyberdee Cisneros, 24, was shot multiple times in her apartment, 718 N. 900 West, and later died. Her live-in boyfriend, Jayden Wade Fernelius, 20, was also in the apartment when police arrived and kept changing his story about what happened, claiming at different times that Cisneros shot herself in front of him, that he wasn't in the apartment when she was shot, and that someone else shot her, the charges state. Fernelius, a documented gang member, is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

60．SOUTH SALT LAKE, Sept. 27 — Jebb Muir, 44, was shot and killed after exchanging gunfire with two South Salt Lake police officers near 400 E. Robert Ave. (2500 South). Police had been called as standby earlier in the evening when it was reported that Muir was possibly having a mental health crisis. Later that evening, police say Muir threatened a man with a rifle in a separate incident. Two officers responded and Muir immediately fired a shotgun at them, police said. The officers returned fire. The city's Civilian Review Board in December determined the officers' actions were reasonable. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office is also reviewing the shooting to determine whether the officers' actions were legally justified. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

61．WEST JORDAN, Oct. 3 — Kenneth Moldovan, 44, was shot and killed by his father, Louis Moldovan, 73, who then fatally shot himself, according to police. Both were found dead inside their home, 4711 W. Colander Drive (8750 South), after police were asked to conduct a welfare check. Police indicated that the shooting was prompted by a family disagreement. Method: Shooting Motive: Domestic fight

62．OGDEN, Oct. 5 — The body Bert Kenneth Kopinitz, 68, was found in a residence near 2500 North and U.S. 89 with blunt force injuries to his head. Emily Francis Drake, 38, who police say is homeless and was an acquaintance of Kopintiz, was arrested for a separate crime in the same area at about the same time. On Dec. 29, she was charged with murder after police say DNA evidence from a baseball bat linked her to the death. Method: Beating Motive: Unknown

63．SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 11 — Nickolas Parks, 38, was shot in the head and died several days later on Oct. 17 during a confrontation that police say started with an argument over a cigarette at the Wasatch Inn, 1416 S. State. Joseph Marquez, 60, who police say shot Parks, was charged with murder. After the shooting, Thomas Leroy Glasker, 71, allegedly drove Marquez away from the scene and let him hide at his apartment. He was charged with obstruction of justice. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Fight

64．MAESER, Uintah County, Oct. 13 — Michael Francis Smith, 77, was shot and killed by his son-in-law, Todd Wilson, 51, who then fatally shot himself, according to police. The men lived in the home with three others who were at the home at the time of the shootings but were not injured. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

65．TAYLORSVILLE, Oct. 14 — A 5-month-old girl, Aitana Ampudia Aguilar, died while in the care of an unlicensed day care provider who was babysitting, according to police. Paulina Carmona-Simbron, 47, was charged with murder. On Oct. 13, emergency crews were called to Carmona-Simbron's home on a report of an unresponsive infant. Doctors at Primary Children's Hospital determined the girl had "severe retinal hemorrhaging and severe tearing in the brain," the charges state. The infant died the next day. Method: Beating Motive: Unknown

66．SANDY, Oct. 26 — Chris Ryan Mortensen, 42, of Pleasant Grove, was shot after a suspected road rage altercation. Rodrigo A. Monroy, 32, of Riverton, was arrested and charged with murder. Mortensen was on I-15 when he was cut off by Monroy, according to police. Monroy allegedly admitted that he "brake checked" Mortensen. Both men got off the freeway at 10600 South and came to a stop in front of a gas station near 160 West. Mortensen got out of his car and approached Monroy's vehicle, which had parked behind him, went up to the driver's side window and slapped the windshield with his hand. Monroy then pulled out a gun and Mortensen attempted to grab it. "As Monroy pulled the gun away, Mortensen backed up with his hands visible and said, 'No.' Monroy pulled the trigger of his handgun at Mortensen and shot Mortensen one time in the chest," the charges state. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Road rage

{#talib}

67．MILLCREEK, Nov. 11 — Talib "Kunda" Ahmed, 18, was shot multiple times during a confrontation in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven, 4051 S. State, with rival gang members, according to police. Houssein Musse 18, and Salman Farhan Ahmed, 19, of Salt Lake City, were each charged with murder. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Gangs

68．TOOELE, Nov. 17 — James Stockmoe, 60, of Tooele, was beaten to death in his apartment. The attack was discovered after Stockmoe's girlfriend arrived home, near Date Street (130 North) and Third Street, from work. Stockmoe was found with extensive injuries to his face. He was not conscious or breathing but still had a faint pulse when officers arrived. Despite life-saving efforts, Stockmoe died at the scene. Richard Perales, 55, the victim's roommate, who police found in his bed, was charged with murder. Method: Beating Motive: Unknown domestic

69．HERRIMAN, Nov. 20 — Alma Andrew Worthington, 38, an active member of the Utah Army National Guard, was shot and killed by SWAT team members after a standoff at his home in the area of 13000 S. River Rose Lane (5100 West) that lasted several hours. Those who knew Worthington say he was a combat veteran who was possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. During the standoff, family and Guard members tried talking to him on the phone about peacefully surrendering. But when Worthington opened fire on officers trying to evacuate nearby residents, they were forced to return fire. The district attorney will determine whether the shooting was legally justified. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

70．SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 20 — Nichole Olsen, 29, was shot by a man who claimed he was only trying to fire a warning shot to stop his friend and Olsen's boyfriend from fighting, police say. Dustin Pedersen, 37, of Kanab, is charged with murder. Police say Olsen and her friends were at a nightclub in Salt Lake City when they got into an argument with Pedersen and his friends. Security kicked Pedersen's group out. Later, after Olsen and her boyfriend left the club, they happened to run into Pedersen's group again in a parking lot near 300 S. West Temple. Olsen's boyfriend and Pedersen's friend began fighting. That's when police say Pedersen fired a shot, which he claimed was to get the two men to stop fighting, but it struck Olsen in the chest. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Fight

71．SOUTH JORDAN, Nov. 24 — The body of Joseph Lee "Gino" Montoya, 50, was found in a burning vehicle near 11700 S. Bingham Rim Road. South Jordan police have released little information about the case but have confirmed the case is being investigated as a homicide. Emergency crews arrived at the scene — where homes were still under construction — to find a fully engulfed Mercedes Benz. Once the fire was out, Montoya's burned body was found in the trunk. Investigators believe Montoya was likely deceased prior to the fire starting. Based on surveillance video collected from nearby, police believe multiple people are involved in the crime. Method: Unknown Motive: Unknown

72, 73． CLEARFIELD, Nov. 26 — Thomas Walker, 87, and Janice Walker, 85, of Clearfield, were both shot in the head in their garage, 681 N. 1050 West. Jeremy Dwayne Belt, 26, the Walkers' grandson, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder. Belt's mother told investigators that her son "had repeatedly made statements that his grandparents were trying to harm him and that she believed (her son) had been suffering from paranoia," according to the charges. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

74．ST. GEORGE, Nov. 30 — Richard Joseph Harper, 63, was shot by a tenant who lived on his property, police say. Joel Curtis Flores, 42, got into a fight with a woman and is accused of pointing a rifle at her. Harper attempted to help the woman and escorted her back into his house. A short time later, more than a dozen shots were fired by Flores into the home through a glass door, killing Harper, charges state. Flores is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Alleged motive: Retaliation

75．BALLARD, Uintah County, Dec. 16 — Arden Charles "Ace" Post, 57, of Hilltop, was shot in a shootout with both Uintah County sheriff's deputies and Bureau of Indian Affairs police officers. Deputies were called to a motel in Ballard on the report of a fight. En route, they requested assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. When deputies arrived, they found a man in the room where the disturbance was reported. Police say Post produced a gun and shot at least one round, hitting a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer in his ballistic vest. Multiple officers then returned fire, striking Post multiple times, according to the sheriff's office. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

76．WEST VALLEY CITY, Dec. 23 — A 29-year-old man wanted on drug and weapons charges in Salt Lake and Millard counties was shot and killed during a confrontation with members of the U.S. Marshals' Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike team in the 4200 West block of 4100 South. Strike team members found the wanted fugitive hiding in a closet in a home in West Valley City. He was shot after allegedly brandishing a weapon. The U.S. Marshal's Office has not released the man's name or returned calls about it. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

77．HURRICANE, Dec. 26 — Jose Palacios Pascacio, 46, of Hurricane, was shot by Hurricane police after allegedly stabbing a police K-9, Riko, in the neck during the same incident. Riko was taken to a vet clinic in Las Vegas in critical condition. Police say Pascacio had fled from officers earlier in the evening before entering a random home. Officers confronted Pascacio inside the home where the shots were fired. Riko was eventually released from the clinic and returned to Utah to continue his recovery. Method: Shooting Motive: Possible self-defense

78．WEST VALLEY CITY, Dec. 27 — Xavier Bernal, 20, of Ogden, was shot at the Redwood apartments, 4000 S. Redwood. Police say Bernal had arranged to meet Dylan Gregorio Upshaw, 21, for an unknown "transaction." When Bernal and Upshaw met in the parking lot, there was a confrontation between them and Upshaw shot Bernal, according to police. Upshaw was arrested for investigation of aggravated murder, but the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges, citing an increased burden stemming from a new self-defense law. It said Bernal may have intended to rob Upshaw and likely brought the gun to the scene. Method: Shooting Motive: Self-defense

79．WEST VALLEY CITY, Dec. 29 — Luis Alberto Cardenas, 21, was shot in his bed by a roommate who got a "bad feeling," according to police. Cardenas had been renting a room in the basement of a home, 4268 S. 3720 West, where his friend and co-worker lived. But the co-worker's son, Miguel Zamora Bonilla, 21, who also lives in the house, felt that "when Cardenas moved in, there was a bad feeling in their home," according to charges, which add that "Miguel said he believed he heard Cardenas laughing at him and his family at night." Early on the morning of Dec. 29, Bonilla woke up and "knew he had to 'take care of' Cardenas," the charges state. He is accused of firing three rounds at Cardenas while he was in his bed. Bonilla is charged with murder. Method: Shooting Motive: Unknown domestic

80．MORONI, Sanpete County, Dec. 29 — A 2-year-old girl only identified in court documents as "Litzy," died as a result of child abuse from her stepfather and mother, according to police. Juan Castillo, 51, and Anyi Nicol Canales Cruz, 22, are charged with child abuse homicide. Both parents admitted to hitting the child, the charges state. Police also found a large amount of children and adult medication in the home. The mother allegedly admitted to frequently giving her daughter medication, and police believe large amounts of medication may have contributed to the death. Method: Beating, drugs Motive: Unknown domestic

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