Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Lawyers for a man accused of murder say fear caused him to shoot the victim and dump his body in the West Desert.
Ramon Somoza is charged with first-degree felony murder in connection with the death of his former employee, Jesus Landin, last December.
Landin's body was found near Wendover Jan. 7. Police believe Landin was actually killed at a dance hall in American Fork Dec. 28, 2009, after he told friends he was asking Somoza for his paycheck.
Somoza's lawyers say Landin was threatening their client at the time of the shooting and that Somoza acted in self defense.
The defense claims Somoza has acknowledged hiding the body after the fact was a bad decision, but that it doesn't change the circumstances of the shooting.
Last week, a judge denied Somoza's request to have his $500,000 bail reduced. He will appear in court again in June.
