- Casteil "Slim" Franlink Hamlett, 38, charged with 2016 murder near Saltair.
- Hamlett allegedly involved in plot against Chandler Michael Cooper who was fatally shot.
- DNA evidence and witness statements link Hamlett to the crime, charges state.
MAGNA — A man accused of driving a 22-year-old man out to a remote area near Saltair in 2016 and fatally shooting him has been charged.
Casteil "Slim" Franlink Hamlett, 38, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the nearly decade-old homicide and on Monday was charged in 3rd District Court with murder and discharge of a firearm, first-degree felonies, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
The tangled web of associations and betrayals came to a head on Feb. 11, 2016, when the body of Chandler Michael Cooper, who lived in the Holladay-Millcreek area, was found by hikers near a trail by Saltair, a few hundred yards from the intersection of the North Temple Frontage Road and 11500 West. Investigators determined he had been shot twice and killed.
Two shell casings were recovered at the scene, but no gun and no cellphone were found. And no arrests were made.
Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned that a couple of days before the killing, one of Cooper's acquaintances had gone to Wendover and won $14,000 by placing a bet on the Super Bowl, according to charging documents. He went back to Salt Lake City and threw a party. Hamlett was at the party, the charges state.
Detectives say Hamlett was part of a plot that included Cooper to rob the man who won the money. But when Hamlett went to the party, he told the man that Cooper was planning on robbing him, according to the charges.
Detectives questioned Hamlett in 2016, and he "admitted to being part of the robbery and to playing both sides," a police booking affidavit states. But he claimed he had dropped Cooper off alive at an apartment complex later that morning.
However, detectives also learned during the course of their investigation that "the topic of conversation at the party was how (Cooper) was a problem. They discussed how to get rid of (Cooper) by either assaulting him, kidnapping him, dropping him off halfway to Wendover, breaking his leg, and/or killing him," the charges state.
Hamlett allegedly left the party about midnight on the morning of Feb. 11 and picked up Cooper.
Last year, Cooper's jeans and jacket that he was wearing when his body was found were sent to the Utah State Crime Lab to have the pockets swabbed for DNA.
"The two jacket pockets and two front jeans pockets were swabbed by the Utah State Crime Lab, and information returned that there were two to three DNA contributors inside of Cooper's pockets," a police booking affidavit states.
Detectives then obtained DNA samples from Hamlett to compare.
Additionally, investigators found "a bag of candy believed to belong to Cooper was located in (Hamlett's) car. (He) was the last person to be with Cooper before his death," according to charging documents.
Cooper's cousin told police that after Cooper was shot in the leg in 2015, he told the cousin that "he believed (Hamlett) would kill him soon. Cooper stated he had to do what (Hamlett) said or (Hamlett) would also kill his grandmother, whom he lived with. Cooper also stated it was not a matter of 'if' (Hamlett) would kill him, but 'when,'" the charges state.
Before his death, Cooper also told a family member "that he was trying to get out of the drug game after he was shot (in 2015), but Hamlett would not allow him to leave" and "that he had to continue to provide Hamlett with money to prevent Hamlett from killing (him). (Cooper) also said that he had to do what Hamlett said, or Hamlett would kill his grandmother. (The relative) stated that Hamlett had stickie notes on his bedroom wall talking about how he may die and when he does die, who he wants his belongings to be left with," according to charging documents.
