- Robert Johnson Boyatt, 55, was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for killing Victor Hershberger.
- The incident occurred July 3, 2023, with Boyatt intentionally hitting Hershberger's scooter.
- Boyatt was convicted of murder and obstruction of justice in October.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man convicted of murder for using his car to hit and kill another man who was on a scooter has been sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.
Robert Johnson Boyatt, 55, was convicted in October after a jury found him guilty of murder, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. He was sentenced Monday in 3rd District Court to 15 years to life in prison for the murder charge and a consecutive term of one to 15 years for obstruction of justice.
Victor Hershberger, 61, was riding a scooter near 1020 West and 1000 North about 1:15 a.m. on July 3, 2023, when police say Boyatt drove by him going the other direction.
A witness said the car that hit Hershberger "flipped around and literally went on the other side of the road and slammed (Hershberger) hard from behind and kept going," while a second witness stated that "she observed Hershberger crossing the street, when 'a red Honda flipped around at the same time and intentionally ran him over and took off,'" according to charging documents.
Investigators believe Boyatt was traveling between 36 mph and 38 mph when he hit Hershberger. Boyatt was arrested a few days later at a campsite near Grantsville, where investigators believe he had been camping to evade capture.
"It was determined that Boyatt knew (Hershberger) and … was looking for (him) and 'has been on a vengeance spree' against (Hershberger)," a police booking affidavit states.
"Although (Boyatt) denied intentionally striking the victim, he acknowledged that he had recently learned that the victim and (Boyatt's) ex-girlfriend had put a 'protective order' on him," charging documents say.
Boyatt's trial included two full days of arguments where the prosecution used photos from the crime scene and witness testimony to try to prove the crash was intentional rather than accidental, as the defense argued.
