Clearfield man charged with murder in Sunday shooting death of man in Roy

OGDEN — The suspect in Sunday's shooting death of a man in Roy has been charged with eight criminal counts, including murder.

The Weber County Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday charged Taylor Nicholas Gardner, 22, with murder, a first-degree felony, and engaging in a pattern of unlawful activity, obstruction of justice and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, second-degree felonies. The man also faces three counts of vehicle burglary, a class A misdemeanor, and a count of attempted vehicle burglary, a class B misdemeanor.

Gardner, from Clearfield, is accused of shooting Kenneth Keller, 58, after Keller confronted the man for allegedly burglarizing cars in a Roy neighborhood. Keller suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach and later died in a hospital.

A second 21-year-old man is identified in court papers along with Gardner as a co-defendant in the case but hasn't yet been formally charged.

Gardner and a second male had been burglarizing cars to cover the cost of court fines they faced when Keller received notification via a security system of the alleged activity, according to charging papers. Keller and a friend confronted them, and when Taylor, who was carrying a gun, fled, Keller tackled him.

"Taylor's firearm fell out of his pocket, he reached for it and turned his body over with the gun in his hand and his finger on the trigger, leading to the fatal shot. Taylor admitted to bringing the firearm along for the burglaries in case they were confronted and he needed it," according to charging papers.

Gardner fled after the confrontation, hid for a time in a backyard shed and on seeing responding officers, approached them. He said he was on felony probation after his arrest and that he had taken benzodiazepines, a drug used to treat anxiety, and alcohol, according to charging papers.

Four vehicle burglaries had been reported to Roy police as of Monday though Gardner said he had burglarized around 12 cars, according to charging papers. Gardner is being held without bond in the Weber County jail.

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