The defense for Lance Conway Wood said that while Wood witnessed the torture killing of a former Southern Utah State College student in 1988, he did not participate in the murder.
Wood, 21, is the second defendant to be tried in the death of Gordon Ray Church, 28, on Nov. 22, 1988. Michael Anthony Archuleta, 27, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing and sentenced to death in December. His case is on appeal. Wood is charged with capital homicide and two first-degree felonies, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.In opening arguments Friday, defense attorney Marcus Taylor said the evidence will show that "Mr. Wood is there. He doesn't lift a finger, not one finger, in that cruel, cruel death."
But Millard County Attorney Warren Peterson, the chief prosecutor, said, "Two people committed these crimes." He said the prosecution will show that Wood played an important role in a murder that was "heinous, atrocious, cruel or exceptionally depraved."
Wood's defense will apparently mirror the defense of Archuleta, 27, during the earlier trial. In it, Archuleta's attorneys said Wood was mainly responsible in the killing.
Church's body was found half-nude on Nov. 23, 1988. The body was gagged, draped in chains and covered with dirt and tree limbs in Dog Valley, which is north of Cove Fort in Millard County. A change of venue was granted in the case.
Evidence from Archuleta's trial showed that Church sustained a broken jaw and a broken arm, was sexually assaulted and had his neck cut and his liver punctured during the episode, which lasted over several hours on the night of Nov. 21 and on Nov. 22.
On Nov. 23, the day after Church died, Wood went to investigators and led them to the body. Officers subsequently arrested Archuleta, who, in turn, accused Wood of culpability in the murder, Taylor said. Wood was then arrested.
Peterson said Wood had initially led investigators to the crime scene, but the prosecutor told the 10-woman, two-man jury that Wood's initial testimony to officers differs from the facts the state intends to show in the case.
Testimony in the trial is expected to last about two weeks. During that time, about 40 witnesses will testify and more than 200 exhibits will be presented to jurors, Peterson said. Taylor said Wood intends to take the stand in his own defense. Archuleta will not testify in the case. Testimony is set to begin Monday at 9 a.m.
Wood was dressed in a blue pin-stripe business suit. He showed little emotion during the arguments except when Taylor mentioned the date the incident began, and Wood quietly bowed his head and put his hand to his face.