A Washington City man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a convenience store manager last August has pleaded guilty and mentally ill.
Timothy Howard Edwards, 37, was charged in the death of Jill Stoddard Williamson, 19.Williamson was working alone at the Tri-Mart convenience store in St. George when she disappeared in the early morning hours of Aug. 16.
Edwards, a delivery man for Work Clothes Inc., told authorities he had stopped at the store to get a drink. He asked Williamson to follow him to his truck and then bludgeoned her with a hammer.
Her body was found a few hours later at a Storage Unit Complex a few blocks away.
Washington County Attorney Eric Ludlow said Edwards then left his blood-stained clothes in a trash container in Mesquite, Nev.
At the hearing in 5th District Court Tuesday, Ludlow said Edwards had been looking at "explicit pornographic material" before the incident.
He said there was no relationship between Edwards and Williamson.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jill," Ludlow said. "This was a brutal, senseless murder. I'm glad it's over."
Edwards' wife, Patty, wept openly in the courtroom as Ludlow spoke.
Edwards did not speak at the hearing.
The judge did not immediately set a date for sentencing but ordered a psychiatric evaluation at the Utah State Hospital and a pre-sentence report.
The judge imposed $18,500 in fines and more than $10,000 in restitution for Williamson's funeral expenses.