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SANDY — Two men accused of kidnapping and torturing a man for several hours — allegedly hitting him more than three dozen times with a bat, burning him and cutting him — are now facing felony charges.
Justin Patrick McCrory, 24, and Malachi James Bobo, 19, both of Sandy, were each charged on Monday in 3rd District Court with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies; and aggravated assault resulting in serious injury, a second-degree felony.
On March 31, a man in his 20s was visiting a friend at an apartment near 900 East and 9000 South when McCrory and Bobo, roommates who live in the same complex, "grabbed him, put a hoodie over his head and took him into their apartment," according to charging documents.
The men took the victim's wallet and phone, and he tried to fight back, the charges state. That's when Bobo and McCrory used rope and electrical cords to tie the man's hands behind his back and tie his legs, police say.
"(They) then forced (the man) to drink an unknown liquid and take a small white pill. Approximately 5-10 minutes later, Bobo and McCrory started to punch and kick (the man) in the head and chest. Over the course of several hours, Bobo and McCrory took turns hitting (the man) with a metal bat. Bobo and McCrory held (the man) down and used a pocketknife to cut his right calf, used a torch lighter to burn him on his chest, stomach and genitals and shot him with airsoft guns several times," the charges state. "(The man) also had a phone charging cord around his neck and strangulation marks were also present and (the man) was transported to the hospital."
Investigators say the man lost consciousness about 12 times, was punched or kicked in the head 20 times, and hit in the chest approximately 26 times, according to the charges.
Bobo and McCrory left the apartment after several hours after apparently believing the man was dead, according to court documents. The man later told police he allegedly heard his abductors say "they thought he was dead and would come back later to figure out what to do with his body. (He) waited for a short time, then freed his hands, left the apartment and found a neighbor to contact police," the charges state.
The man was taken to a local hospital while police arrested Bobo and McCrory after they returned to the apartment. Court documents do not give a possible motive for the alleged kidnapping and torture.
