Appellate court dismisses some convictions for man serving at least 35 years

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Court of Appeals dismissed three felony convictions against a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was on her way home from a bar, ruling they should have been combined into another charge.

But, the court also found that 3rd District Court Judge Coral Sanchez did not abuse her discretion in imposing consecutive sentences for the man, affirming four sentences totaling at least 35 years and up to life in prison.

Chad D. Connelley, 54, was charged on Sept. 24, 2001 after being accused of assaulting a woman he didn't know who gave him an odd look months earlier.

Case background

Charging documents said the woman was walking home at night in a construction zone near 600 South and 300 West in Salt Lake City when Connelley, a homeless man, asked her what time it was and she did not respond. Moments later, Connelley grabbed her from behind, sexually assaulted her, strangled her and brandished a knife telling her "she is lucky he isn't slitting her throat," charges state.

Thursday's ruling adds that Connelley threatened to take her phone and wallet, ultimately taking her credit cards after she begged him not to take the rest, and forced the woman to give him her car keys.

The woman told police that Connelley told her "that she looked at him like she wasn't going to give him the time of day and that is why he did what he did," the charges state.

DNA evidence helped police identify Connelley as the suspect.

At trial, the ruling said Connelley testified that the woman had laughed at him "like he was 'beneath her,'" and that she had suggested that he have sex with her and that she voluntarily participated in sexual acts with him. He also claimed the woman let him use her phone and after he took a credit card, which he intended to steal, the woman said it didn't work and voluntarily gave him two other credit cards.

He was found guilty by a jury on June 13, 2024 of two counts of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated robbery, first-degree felonies, in addition to aggravated assault and three counts of unlawful acquisition of a credit card, third-degree felonies.

Connelley argued to the appellate court that the charges for unlawful acquisition of credit cards should be merged into the aggravated robbery charge and not have separate sentences, and the judges in the appellate court agreed.

He argued that his sentences should run at the same time because there was only one victim and he had never previously been charged with a sex crime. But, the judges took the side of the state on that issue, ruling that there was support for the sentences to run consecutively.

"His criminal history is extensive, with over 50 charges and convictions on his adult record alone. Under these circumstances, we are not convinced that the court failed to consider all the legally relevant factors or that no reasonable person would have imposed consecutive sentences," the ruling says.

Although three sentences of zero to five years are now removed from his sentence, it doesn't change that he will still serve at least 35 years, but it could change the overall length of his sentence.

2024 sentencing

The order recounted what was said at the hearing where he was sentenced as prosecutors emphasized Connelley's decades-long history of "victimizing people."

The woman who was assaulted spoke about the long-term impacts of his actions and said she thought she was going to die. She said she continues to be scared of walking alone, especially at night.

On the other side, Connelley's attorneys asked for leniency, saying even serving sentences together could lead to the rest of his life being spent behind bars.

Sanchez, when issuing the sentence, cited multiple chances he had not taken to reform along with the "horrendous" nature of the attack and the lack of credibility to Connelley's account of the events. She said he has been a danger to the public for almost three decades, and would continue to be a danger.

She sentenced him to two terms of 15 years to life in prison for aggravated sexual assault, five years to life in prison for aggravated robbery, and four terms of zero to five years in prison for the remaining charges.

The judge also ordered the sentences to run consecutively with sentences in two other cases. In each case, he is sentenced to zero to five years in prison for theft, a second-degree felony.

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