The Millard County attorney's office has filed motions to dismiss several charges against a Utah State Prison inmate who was convicted of the brutal slaying of a Delta man in November 1989.

Because Michael Anthony Archuleta was given the death penalty, it was decided to drop other charges, said County Attorney LeRay Jackson. He that said the motion was filed "without prejudice" so that the county could refile the charges if Archuleta should be successful in winning an appeal."It's a balanced test of whether it's worth the money to spend to pile other convictions on top of a death sentence," Jackson said.

Archuleta and a companion, Lance Conway Wood, were originally charged with six crimes in addition to the murder of Gordon Ray Church. These included aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, object rape, forcible sexual abuse, aggravated assault and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

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The two men were tried separately in 4th District Court and juries found them both guilty of killing Church, who was attending Southern Utah State College in Cedar City when the crime was committed. Archuleta was sentenced to die and Wood was sentenced to life in prison.

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