A man charged with stabbing another man to death last summer in Pioneer Park was sentenced to the Utah State Prison Monday.
David Sanford Rainey, 41, was given a one-to-15-year prison sentence by 3rd District Judge Dennis Frederick. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 restitution to the Utah Tribal Council to cover funeral expenses for Henry Hiawatha Provo, 61.Witnesses testified that they saw Rainey kill Provo on Aug. 1, 1990, inside the park that has become a congregating place for transients. The witnesses said Rainey sat on top of Provo and slashed his throat.
Two men grabbed the knife from Rainey, and several others in the park were assaulting Rainey when police officers arrived and arrested him. Provo died within an hour.
Rainey was originally charged with second-degree murder, but he was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter as part of a plea bargain with the Salt Lake County attorney's office.
The judge said prison officials would have to decide if Rainey could be incarcerated in Oregon to be closer to his family