Capital Homicide Charge Filed in Christmas Slaying

Capital Homicide Charge Filed in Christmas Slaying


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FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) -- An Ogden man has been charged with capital homicide and kidnapping in an execution-style slaying on Christmas Day.

Jose Juan Rodriguez Valle, 32, was charged Monday in the death of Luis M. Martinez, 28, of Ogden.

Martinez was found dead near the westbound lanes of Interstate 84 just east of the Adams toll road exit, which borders Davis and Weber counties.

Court documents allege Rodriguez Valle struck Luis Martinez several times about the face with an iron and cut his throat.

Investigators said the victim's eyes and nose were covered with duct tap, his hands were tied behind him and he had been held for several hours before he was stabbed to death.

Davis County prosecutor William McGuire said he is proceeding as if he will seek the death penalty, but may change his mind as the investigation continues.

Detectives still are unsure about motive, he said.

"We have some theories on motive, but we are not going to put them out at this time," said McGuire. He said he had concerns about the credibility of the information.

Investigators do not know if Rodriguez Valle has a criminal history. He is in the country illegally and may have been using a false name, McGuire said.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday at 1:30 p.m., when he will be assigned an attorney.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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