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SALT LAKE CITY — Angela Montoya was a total stranger to Jayson Chase when he put a gun to her head in 2019 and pulled the trigger.
Judge Todd M. Shaughnessy called it a "brutal, cold-blooded, execution-style murder" of a young woman "who did absolutely nothing to you. ... She simply had the misfortune of being seated next to you in that car."
Shaughnessy's comments came Friday, right before he sentenced 42-year-old Chase, of West Valley City, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Chase was charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated murder and two counts of attempted aggravated murder, first-degree felonies; plus obstructing justice and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, second-degree felonies.
He was found guilty on all counts during his trial in December. Court documents show the jury deliberated for about two and a half hours before delivering its verdict.
In addition to the life sentence, Chase was also sentenced Friday to two terms of three years to life, set to run consecutive to the life sentence. He also received two terms of one to 15 years, set to run concurrent with all counts. He did not make a statement during the proceedings.
On July 20, 2019, Chase was in a vehicle with four others when witnesses say he became "angry" and opened fire from the back seat, according to charging documents.
The shooting happened in the area of 3300 South and 2700 West in West Valley. A 15-year-old boy and Chase got out of the car and ran after the shots were fired.
Police found the vehicle in the intersection of 3100 South and 2700 West. Montoya was found dead inside with a gunshot wound to her head. She had been sitting in the back seat between Chase and the 15-year-old.
West Valley police were also called to a Holiday Oil, 3086 S. 2700 West, where they discovered that the teen had suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder and a bullet had also grazed his neck.
The driver, a woman, was also shot in the shoulder and a bullet grazed her neck, the charges state. She later showed up at a hospital for treatment.
During Chase's sentencing on Friday, Montoya's family members spoke about the daughter, sister, niece and friend they lost — and the three young boys who are now growing up without their mother.
Hope Montoya, Angela Montoya's aunt, said she talks often with Angela's sons about their mother, but the youngest two can barely remember her.
"Jason took everything from us," Hope Montoya said. "We miss her every single minute of every single day."
And Angela Montoya's mother, Cindee Montoya, said she wouldn't wish her pain even on Chase himself.
"I have to forgive you because Angela would," she said, although Chase's sentencing, "doesn't bring me any justice. ... There's no peace here."
Prosecutor Brian Williams said Chase is a career criminal who's only been crime-free while incarcerated, and the court will never know what his motives were the night he shot Angela.
He also said that, during the trial, Chase tried to blame the 15-year-old for the shooting, despite the boy's wounds indicating that he was ducking to avoid bullets.
Additionally, Williams said a medical examiner testified during the trial that Angela had contact wounds from the gun, indicating that Chase put the gun against her temple.
"There is no better indication of intent than that fact right there," he said. "(Chase) knew exactly what he was doing."
Shaughnessy added that he acknowledges Chase's difficult background, from an alcoholic father to an incarcerated mother. But those same facts are "unfortunately true" of many defendants who stand before him, he said.
"You've shown little to no remorse," Shaughnessy told Chase. "Drug use cannot begin to explain your behavior. ... I am simply unable to find any such mitigating factors in this case."
