Allison Peterson sat stoically at the defense table as the jury declared her guilty. Even as the bailiff escorted her to jail, her stern expression did not change.
The jury took only 1 1/2 hours - including a dinner break - before declaring Peterson guilty of aggravated burglary and masterminding a scheme to rough up or even kill her estranged husband. Instead, the plan ended in the death of a 16-year-old boy.Defense attorneys asked that she remain free until next month's sentencing, arguing that putting her in jail would be treating her more harshly than the others involved in the crime.
But 3rd District Judge David Young forcefully refused and left no doubt about his opinion on Peterson's guilt.
"I find her a direct danger (to the community). I find her story unbelievable and her testimony inaccurate at best," he said. "She tried to make up a story to lay (the blame) off on someone else."
The judge said none of the events would have occurred - including the death of 16-year-old Jeremiah Jason Dorman - if not for Peterson and her scheme.
Minutes after the verdict, Leon Peterson hugged those who were involved with his wife in the attempted break-in at his Cottonwood Heights home - including Kerry Shane Soper, 21, who stood ready to beat him up and burglarize the Peterson home on April 15.
"I feel no malice toward any of them at all," Leon Peterson said, explaining that he hopes he and all those who were manipulated by his wife can now begin to put their lives back in order.
"It is a great deal of relief that Mr. Doorman's death (won't) go un-pun-ished."
The question in the case boiled down to who was telling the truth - Peterson or essentially all of the other witnesses who testified.
Witnesses said Peterson, 26, repeatedly spoke about how she hated her husband and wished he would be injured or killed. Kandi Mlynar and Allison Peterson's other co-workers at the Red Lobster restaurant in Sugar House testified that they and Peterson would talk about specific ways the task could be performed and said Peterson asked if they knew someone who would actually do it.
The employees said Peterson even drew detailed maps of her husband's home, gave Mlynar a photograph of her husband and said the perpetrators could be paid by taking any valuables they wanted from the home. Allison Peterson also spoke about how she wanted custody of her 2-year-old daughter but only had visitation rights.
"She originated it. She planned it. She aided in it. She benefited by it," said Salt Lake County deputy attorney Robert Stott.
But defense attorney Neal Gunnarson said the prosecutors were charging the wrong person and said the theory that Allison Peterson masterminded the break-in was "just flat baloney. Allison didn't plan this. Allison wasn't the instigator of this, Kandi (Mlynar) was," he said during closing arguments.
Gunnarson said many of the state's witnesses lied during their testimony to make Allison Peterson appear more responsible for the incident and make them seem less responsible.
He said Mlynar "gets out of this scot-absolutely-free" by not having to face criminal charges in exchange for her testimony against Allison Peterson. Soper's motive was to help Mlynar, his ex-girl-friend, look good and to help himself get a better deal with prosecutors, who have also charged him with aggravated burglary, he said.
"Are you going to listen to testimony of people who were bought off?" Gunnarson asked the jury.
But Stott said Gunnarson's theory that Mlynar planned it all behind Allison Peterson's back was a "red herring" and warned the jury not to fall for it.
"She (Peterson) duped these young people into helping her out," he said to the jury. "Don't let her manipulate you. Find her responsible."
Allison Peterson took the witness stand Wednesday and admitted having conversations about beating her husband up but said she was never serious about the threats and never solicited anyone to harm him. The conversations were her way of venting anger, she said.
She also admitted drawing three maps of her former home on the day of the attempted break-in, including a layout of the interior. But she said she did so only after Mlynar asked her to explain some of the remodeling plans she once had for the house. She denied indicating on the maps where valuables are located, but said she did indicate where her husband kept two guns.
She also admitted writing down her estranged husband's home and work addresses for Mlynar but only after Mlynar requested the information. "She wanted to know the area he worked in," Allison Peterson explained.
Allison Peterson said she was with Soper, Mlynar, Doorman, John Clayton, 16, and Jason Cann, 17, on the night of April 14 but didn't know where they were headed. She agreed, however, to show Mlynar where her husband lived because Mlynar wanted to see it. The four boys followed in a vehicle behind the truck she and Mlynar rode in and stopped near the home at 7304 S. Pippen Drive.
Mlynar got out to talk to the boys and then the two women drove to a nearby 7-Eleven without them, she said. She testified she did not know that the boys were going to her husband's house to beat him.
"The next thing I know, Shane is there. He was babbling about shots and J.J. (Doorman) and didn't know what to do," she said.
Leon Peterson testified he shot Doorman after Doorman - swinging a bat - and another man armed with a bat tried to push their way into his home just after midnight.
"I raised the pistol up and fired twice . . . but he didn't stop coming," Leon Peterson testified. He said he fired three more times and Doorman fell to the floor. The shooting was later ruled justified.
Allison Peterson said she and Mlynar drove by the house after the shooting, saw a sheriff's car there, then returned downtown to tell Doorman's mother about her son. They drove back toward the house, but Allison Peterson said she was scared and ordered them to let her out near the same 7-Eleven.
A deputy sheriff spotted her some time later near 5600 S. Highland Drive and arrested her.
Following the verdict, Mlynar said she felt manipulated by Allison Peterson - particularly because she had been convinced Allison Peterson was the victim who was beat up by her husband and unfairly lost custody of her child.
"I think she lied to me all the way. When she was explaining Leon, she was describing herself with his name. I believe that's what she was doing," Mlynar said.
"I hate the woman . . . I have no pity for her."
Allison Peterson will be sentenced Aug. 17.