Salt Lake County sheriff's detectives met the end of the year investigating the death of a 14-year-old boy whose mother found him stabbed to death in her bedroom Thursday evening.
The tragedy may be the final footnote on a grim tally for 1993: Homicides in Salt Lake County were up over the year before.Detectives investigated 22 homicides in Salt Lake City, for example, compared with 13 in 1992, for an increase of 69 percent.
But police say the city's increased figures are not necessarily an indication of a homicide crime wave. The city has averaged about 16 homicides a year since 1980, with an all-time high of 25 homicides during 1990.
"Our homicides are up, but most of them seem to be the kind of homicides we've always had," said Salt Lake Police Lt. Dennis Tueller. "If you look at the past 10 years, the trend is probably up, but I'm not sure it's up dramatically."
Homicide records were set in more than 20 major U.S. cities in 1993, but homicide statistics in most Wasatch Front communities remained pretty much status quo. Detectives investigated 41 homicides in Salt Lake County, three each in Davis and Utah counties and one in Summit County.
What's remarkable is that detectives consider all but five of those 48 homicides resolved, even though charges were not filed in connection with all of the cases. Of those five, detectives believe they have strong suspects in three of those cases, but lack enough evidence to file murder charges. Information about possible suspects in Thursday's fatal stabbing was unknown Friday.
Anger and jealousy seem to have been the motives for about half of 1993's local homicides, but some not-so-traditional trends seem to be emerging.
Gang-related crimes, for example, increased significantly during the past year and gang-related homicides are not far behind. Two people were killed during drive-by shootings in 1993, one person may have been killed because he was wearing a rival gang color and at least one other 1993 homicide had gang connections.
"My personal opinion is until we can start locking up juvenile criminals that are caught and convicted, it's going to continue," Tueller said.
More and more people seem to be carrying guns, noted Salt Lake County sheriff's homicide Sgt. Jerry Townsend. Because of that, he fears more and more homicides will appear on the books.
"There's a lot more of these freeway encounters where people pull guns on each other. We've had a lot of those this year," he said. "I'm really surprised we haven't had more shootings or dead people from those."
The Salt Lake Valley also had an increase in incidents of officers shooting suspects. Three people were killed in those encounters during 1993.
"It's not something we like to do, but when our officers are doing it, they're doing a real good job," Tueller said, meaning that most officers know when and how to use deadly force appropriately. The incidents provide police departments with an opportunity to scrutinize how best to handle such situations, but Tueller said that officers along the Wasatch Front appear to have acted appropriately when confronted with situations in which their lives or the lives of others have been directly in danger.
Two of Salt Lake City's fatal police shootings and at least one other shooting when a 15-year-old boy survived gunshot wounds were incidents of people wanting officers to kill them, Tueller said.
"There's been a lot of police literature the last two years about suicide by cop," he said. "I don't know if it's a trend. I think we may have just been a little more aware of that happening."
For example, officers shot Jorge Louis Santiago following a 20-minute police standoff in which he shot his wife and then shot himself. "My personal theory is he thought, `These cops aren't doing anything, let's see if we can get the ball rolling,' " Tueller said.
Larry Mitchell was shot and killed Aug. 12 after he repeatedly threatened officers with a butcher knife. Tueller said Mitchell continually got closer to the officers and ignored orders to put the knife down. At one point he put his hands out and said, "Go ahead, get it over with." When Mitchell was finally shot, he was nearly within reach of the officers. "They decided they did not want him to get any closer," the lieutenant said.
Some may rationalize that it's easier for someone else to kill them than for them to do it themselves.
Although crime is on the rise, Tueller said many of the homicides still involve drug deals, prostitution, transients and estranged spouses. "I don't mean to sound harsh but it's many down-and-outer types," he said.
Sheriff's detectives are working on Thursday's homicide but believe they have solved all of their homicides from 1993 in the unincor-porated county and all 11 homicides from 1992. However, they are still trying to solve the mysterious murder of Bryan Ruff, who was killed in 1991. His body was found in July of 1993 in a shallow grave near Fairfield, Utah County.
Here's a list of the homicides that occurred along the Wasatch Front during 1993, listed by jurisdiction:
Salt Lake City
1. Jan. 1 - David Begay, 25, of Salt Lake City, was stabbed in the chest during a New Year's Eve party at 1756 W. 400 North. Alonzo William Yazzie, 29, 1154 W. Aaron Circle, Taylorsville, was charged with murder. Witnesses said the two got into a fight over a woman. Yazzie punched Begay's chest and they continued to struggle in a bear hug. When a partygoer separated them, Begay passed out and a kitchen steak knife was discovered. Yazzie pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to serve one to 15 years in prison. Motive: Anger and jealousy. Cause: Stabbing.
2. Feb. 5 - Patrick Runningbear, 27, of South Dakota, was shot twice in the head during a confrontation at 327 S. 500 East. His stepfather, Kenneth G. Antelope, 39, was shot in the mouth but survived. Clifford Mark Kimball, 38, was charged with murder and attempted murder. Antelope said he saw Kimball breaking into a van and when they followed him, they were shot. Police found Kimball sitting in a chair with a .32-caliber revolver in his hand and Runningbear's body on the floor. Kimball said he shot in self-defense and said he shot Runningbear a second time "because he kept trying to get up." Kimball pleaded guilty to brandishing a weapon during a fight, a class A misdemeanor, and received probation. He was also declared incompetent to own a firearm. Motive: Anger. Cause: Gunshot.
3. Feb. 24 - Teresa Ann Morlock, 35, was found dead in her apartment at 643 S. Redwood Road, No. 1316. She was suffocated and had also been beaten about her face. Her body was found in her bedroom, where there were signs that a struggle had taken place. Morlock had a history of prostitution and was likely working the evening she died. There were no signs of forced entry. A friend who had seen her the night before, Christian Davis Smania, 26, was charged with murder based on bite marks found on the victim's breasts. However, the charge was dropped in May after DNA tests of saliva found on her body indicated it was not Smania's. His defense attorney said he has been told his client is still considered the prime suspect. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Suffocation.
4. March 8 - Terry R. Nelson, 43, died of injuries he received during a 1990 beating. He was found dead in his West Salt Lake home, where he had been drinking with friends for three days. An autopsy showed he had died of a seizure. He had suffered seizures ever since he was beaten with a lead pipe on July 26, 1990. No charges were ever filed in connection with the assault, and all evidence was destroyed. The county attorney declined to file murder charge at least partly because Nelson had not been taking his medication for the seizures. Motive: Anger. Cause: Beating three years earlier.
5. March 31 - Camillo LeRoy Padilla, 26, was shot in front of his home at 320 E. Cleveland Ave., which had been fire-bombed two days earlier. Padilla said the bombing was in retribution for the death of his cousin, gang leader Raul Gonzales, on March 3. Gonzales was shot in the head outside a gang party at 1562 S. Major St. Gonzales' death was ruled a suicide, but friends and family members vowed revenge on a cousin they believe killed him. That third cousin - likely the intended victim - was present with Padilla the night of the bombing and the night of the shooting. A car passed by the house; gang terms were yelled. Padilla grabbed a gun, ran outside and was shooting at the car when he was shot several times in the chest and possibly in the head. Elmer Candelario, Michael A. Gonzales, Timmy Lee Martinez and Rito Jesus Guiterrez all pleaded guilty to charges associated with the bombing. Prosecutors do not have enough evidence, however, to file murder charges. Motive: Gang-related revenge. Cause: Gunshot.
6. April 21 - Bianca Guzman, 11 months, stopped breathing at her apartment at 765 S. 500 East, and paramedics transported her to the hospital. Doctors discovered the child was a victim of battered child syndrome. Before her death, she'd suffered a broken rib, smashed fingernails, bite marks on her arms and a "slice" to her liver believed to have been caused by a punch. She also had brain swelling and bruises on her face and head. Her mother, Maria Hernandez, 23, and her live-in boyfriend, Alfredo Francisco Vargas, 23, were both charged with murder and child abuse. Vargas pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to two consecutive prison sentences of one to 15 years. Hernandez, who was not believed to be responsible for the injuries but should have known the girl was being abused, pleaded guilty to child abuse and was sentenced to prison for zero to five years. Motive: Anger. Cause: Shaking.
7. April 22 - Alex Gomez, 21, of Mexico, was killed during a fight in Pioneer Park over a drug deal. Michael Whiteman, 43, a transient, was charged with murder. Gomez apparently hit Whiteman first, but Whiteman was accused of pulling out a knife and stabbing Gomez in the chest. A second suspect was arrested but not charged. A jury found Whiteman guilty, and he was given a 5-years-to-life prison sentence. A motion for a new trial has been filed. Motive: Anger. Cause: Stabbing.
8. June 7 - Sergio Vargas, 18, was shot in the head near 100 S. 1000 West on June 6 while riding in the back of a pickup truck with three other friends. He died the next day. Rival gang members drove up alongside the truck and the groups started flashing gang signs. A passenger in the car began firing several shots from a .25-caliber handgun and Vargas was hit. The shooting was related to another drive-by shooting two hours earlier during which a 15-year-old boy was shot in the groin. Richard Cuellar, 14, of Salt Lake City, was arrested in Grand Junction, Colo., and charged in juvenile court with manslaughter and aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to Decker Lake Youth Correctional Facility. Motive: Anger/gang-related. Cause: Gunshot.
9. July 14 - Norman Hines, 23, died of a single stab wound in the chest at LDS Hospital after police found him bleeding and unconscious when they responded to a report of a fight at 649 E. 100 South at 11:27 p.m. His wife, Angela Marie Waddell, 21, 651 E. 100 South, Apt. B, was charged with murder. A number of other people, including five young children, were in the apartment during the fight but told police they were in other rooms and did not see what happened. The couple had been quarreling for about a week. She had apparently been accusing him of having an affair. Waddell was not hurt in the fight that preceded the stabbing. Attorneys are waiting for a competency hearing. Waddell's 6-month-old girl died earlier this month at her foster home when a 4-year-old girl tried to pick up the child out of a crib, dropped the baby and fell on top of her. That death was ruled accidental. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Stabbing.
10. July 20 - Michael LeFevre, 50, was found July 15 lying face down in a pool of blood in a parking lot at 640 S. 300 West. The right rear portion of his skull was crushed and he had massive damage to the brain. Witnesses said he and another man were arguing when the man broke a board over LeFevre's head. He died five days later. Prince Scott Morris, 46, a transient, was charged with murder. The charge was dropped in October, however, after two transient witnesses could not be located to testify despite an intensive effort to find them. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Blunt trauma.
11. Aug. 1 - Beatrice A. Goodwin, 37, was shot to death at the home of her estranged husband, Jim Ingram Goodwin, 61, at 135 S. Jeremy St. (840 West). Police said the husband had a long history of fighting and threatening her. She had been living with her daughter and went to their house to speak with him. Her children called police when she didn't return. Police say Jim Goodwin shot his wife twice in the forehead with a .22-caliber Derringer, then shot and killed himself. Motive: Anger and jealousy. Cause: Gunshot.
12. Aug. 12 - Larry N. Mitchell, 28, shot in the chest by Salt Lake police officer Scott Gardiner. Officers had been called to quell a domestic disturbance at 1640 S. West Temple about 7 p.m. that day. When they returned two hours later, Mitchell attacked them with a butcher knife inside his apartment. Neighbors said Mitchell had been violent with his wife in the past. The county attorney determined that the shooting was justified. Motive: Self-defense. Cause: Gunshot.
13. Aug. 22 - Kenneth W. Palmer, 46, died of extensive head injuries from a severe beating. Friends found his body in a wooded transient camp south of I-80 and west of Highland Drive about 7:30 a.m. Randolph Dan Begay, 25, was charged with murder. He had been drinking with Palmer and admitted beating and kicking the victim and leaving him unconscious on a mattress. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison. Motive: Anger. Cause: Beating.
14. Aug. 22 - Chet O'Neil Harris, 30, was shot in the head and neck. His body was found in an alley behind 320 S. Jeremy St. Tan T. Nguyen, 16, was charged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Taun In Ly or Em Taun Ly, 18, was charged with theft, but that charge was later dropped. Both were arrested as they returned to Salt Lake City on a bus. They had been involved in an accident in Harris' car in LaGrande, Ore. Nguyen told police he was upset because Harris had made homosexual advances toward him. When he told Ly about it, Ly apparently said they ought to shoot him. Nguyen said he shot Harris in the chest and drove off. They returned a few minutes later and Ly apparently fired the fatal shot to the head as a wounded Harris was inching his way along the ground. Prosecutors say they don't have enough admissible evidence to charge Ly because they cannot use Nguyen's testimony against him. Motive: Unknown, likely robbery. Cause: Multiple gunshots.
15. Aug. 31, 1993 - Harlan Lee, 32, died after he was stabbed in the chest during an argument in the pool of the Se Rancho Motor Hotel, 640 W. North Temple. His wife, Leslie June Lee, 26, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. The couple had been living at the motel about a week and had been drinking and arguing in the pool throughout the afternoon. Witnesses said the victim pushed the woman's head under water and called her obscene names. She ran out, retrieved a knife from the motel room, returned and allegedly stabbed him in the chest, then tossed the knife away. Her next court appearance is Jan. 6. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Stabbing.
16. Sept. 1 - Aaron Chapman, 17, of the Millcreek area, was shot once in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun following a concert at the Triad Center. As he and friends were driving out of the parking lot, they got into a confrontation with alleged gang members. Former West High football captain Asipeli Mohi, 17, was charged with murder. A witness said Chapman may have been singled out because he was wearing the color of a rival gang. No trial date has been set. Alleged motive: Anger/gang-related. Cause: Gunshot.
17. Oct. 2 - Ponnace Lori Rivera, 36, was beaten to death and found face-down in alley at 521 W. 100 South. The woman was wearing a swimsuit underneath her clothing. An autopsy revealed the woman, a prostitute, died of blunt trauma and a crushed neck. Police believe she was killed somewhere else and her body was dumped in the alley. Detectives searched a vehicle two months later and recovered two baseball bats, a stained shirt and pieces of carpet. Tennis shoes and gloves - both stained red - were also recovered from a storage shed. Police have identified a suspect, but no charges have been filed. Detectives are waiting for test results from evidence. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Blunt trauma.
18. Oct. 16 - Annis Goodsell, 62, died in her home at 1859 S. 1100 East of injuries she received during a "very severe" beating on Aug. 21. Her son, James Hill, 37, beat her and broke her ribs during the assault and she was hospitalized. He was charged with aggravated assault. Although she had been released from the hospital, she died Oct. 16 of complications as a direct result of the beating. With potential murder charges hanging over his head, Hill pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and will be sentenced Jan. 7. Motive: Anger. Cause: Physical force.
19. Oct. 21 - Albert Neal, 70, died in an apartment at 526 S. State. He had been drinking and fighting with another man and was stabbed once in the abdomen with a large kitchen knife. Thomas C. Parker, 63, was charged with murder. A trial is scheduled for Feb. 22. Alleged motive: Anger, drunkenness. Cause: Stabbing.
20. Oct. 30 - Nicholas Rodriguez, 22, was shot three times by Salt Lake police officers Mark Nelson and Michael Tueller in a parking lot at 700 S. State. The officers were responding to a report of a fight and heard a gunshot shortly after they arrived. Rodriguez was shot in the chest and neck as he apparently began pointing the gun at the crowd. The county attorney cleared Nelson and Tueller of any wrongdoing and the shooting was determined to be justified. Motive: Self-defense or defense of others. Cause: Gunshots.
21. Nov. 4 - Jorge Luis Santiago was shot by eight law enforcement officers during a police standoff while he held his estranged wife at gunpoint. Santiago had kidnapped her two days earlier after threatening to shoot her daughter and instead shot a woman trying to protect the child. Despite the hail of gunfire from officers after Santiago shot and injured his estranged wife, an assistant state medical examiner ruled the death a suicide because Santiago first shot himself in the stomach before he was shot. Although the classification may change, Salt Lake police still consider the case to be a homicide, albeit justifiable. All officers have been cleared in the shooting by the county attorney. Motive: Self-defense or defense of others. Cause: Multiple gunshots.
22. Nov. 28 - Mike D. James, 40, of Payson, died at LDS Hospital Dec. 22 shortly after he was removed from life support. He drove into Flying J Travel Plaza, 850 W. 2100 South, and asked for help. He had been stabbed in the left temple, and the blade went into his brain. He said he had been stabbed by a hitchhiker who had given him a lift. He apparently stopped his van after he was stabbed, and the hitchhiker fled on foot. Investigators are looking at other possible scenarios, including possible drug deals from Pioneer Park. Police have no suspects. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Stabbing.
Salt Lake County (Unincorporated)
1. Jan. 1 - Joy Bartosik, 46, died in her apartment at 5770 S. 1910 West. Her boyfriend called 911 and attempted CPR on Bartosik, but she died at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, but sheriff's detectives believe it was accidental. The couple had been drinking, got into a minor argument and went to bed. The boyfriend woke up at least two hours later and discovered Bartosik wasn't breathing. Investigators suspect she may have lain on something that cut off her air supply and believe drugs and alcohol in her system played a role in her death. The boyfriend passed polygraph tests. The county attorney declined to prosecute. Motive: Accidental. Cause: Asphyxiation.
2. Jan. 3 - Michael Lee Streets, 23, 357 N. Edmonds Place, was shot in the upper chest with a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol. He and another man were arguing inside Hy & Mike's Billiards, 2955 E. 3300 South, and took the fight outside. Justin Brett Heuser, 17, 637 E. Coatsville Ave., was charged with murder for shooting Streets once in the heart and then running off. The shooting was fueled by trivial comments, including derogatory remarks made about some girls there. Glances and gang-related hand signs were exchanged. Heuser pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to prison for one to 15 years even though he is only 17. Motive: Anger, gang-related. Cause: Gunshot.
3. April 18 - Lowell A. Searle, 84, was found dead in his home at 2042 W. 6200 South. He was lying in bed with a pocketknife sticking out of his chest and had been tied up and beaten. Officers went to his house after finding his driver's license and credit cards and other property of Searle on Billy Jo Wilson, 28. Wilson was charged with murder and aggravated burglary. He is also charged with robbery in connection with an April 15 robbery at Dean's Motor Lodge. Wilson had met Searle when he worked as a telemarketer. Detectives believe Wilson returned to the home to rob Searle. His trial is scheduled for April 11. Alleged motive: Robbery, drug money. Cause: Stabbing and bludgeoning.
4. May 13 - Ramon Florez, 37, 931 S. Washington St., was shot to death with a 9mm handgun after fighting with the shooter inside the El Norteno Bar, 3556 S. State. Witnesses said Florez was drunk, rude and threatening others and brought an unloaded gun inside the bar. A group of patrons called friends, who arrived with a loaded gun. Florez was shot during a fight and two suspects fled to Mexico. The county attorney declined to file charges because Florez's own actions incited the incident and contributed to his death. Motive: Self-defense, mutual combat. Cause: Gunshot.
5. Aug. 12 - Corey Hoopiiaina, 7 weeks old, lost consciousness in an apartment at 1149 W. Clubhouse Drive, Taylorsville. He died the next day. The boy's father, Christopher Hoopiiaina, 18, was charged with murder. Investigators say the child was shaken to death. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and said he shook the baby in a panic when it stopped breathing. Trial is set for March 14. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Shaking.
6. Sept. 3 - Guillermo Hernandez Jr., 23 months, was found dead Sept. 7 in a shack near 8900 W. 3500 South. The boy's aunt, Claudia Marisa Trujillo, 22, was found lying in a ditch and later led officers to the child's body. Trujillo was charged with child kidnapping and murder. The boy had died of exposure and dehydration. Witnesses said they saw her leave the house with the boy on Aug. 30. Detectives suspect she wanted to return to Mexico and may have taken the baby with the hope it would ease her passage back. Her attorney says she suffers organic brain damage and may not be competent to stand trial. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Exposure, dehydration.
7. Nov. 6 - Renee Russell Meisner, 30, was killed in her home at 6821 S. Virginia Hills Drive (2715 East). Her husband, Neal B. Meisner, 40, a veterinarian, was also dead. Sheriff's detectives believe he shot her in the head with a .357 Magnum, then turned the gun on himself. Friends said the couple had had family disputes before, but the sheriff's office had not reported any incidents. Motive: Anger. Cause: Gunshot.
8. Nov. 26 - Richart Chant, 2, died of blunt force trauma to the head at his family's apartment at 4866 S. 4870 West, No. 3. Sulieti Tuitavuki, 30, was caring for the child and was charged with murder. She said she became frustrated with the boy and hit him in the chest hard enough to throw him back and strike the wall, court documents state. She said she was mad and did it at least three times. She is scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 4. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Blunt force.
9. Nov. 27 - Chester R. Denn, 44, was found bludgeoned to death inside the home at 3121 S. 800 East he shared with Gary Rafferty. Rafferty was arrested at 2026 E. 4400 South after a 10-minute chase. During the chase he allegedly tried to run over a deputy sheriff. Investigators said Denn was kicked and beaten to the head and nearly every bone in his face was broken. Rafferty, who was in the process of moving out when the assault occurred, was charged with murder, attempted aggravated murder and failure to stop at an officer's signal. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Beating.
10. Dec. 30 - A woman living at 4525 S. 1175 West returns home to find her 14-year-old son stabbed to death in her bedroom. The boy, whose name has not yet been released, was babysitting a 2-month-old cousin, who was missing from the apartment when the mother returned home. The baby was later located with its parents, who were taken into custody and questioned. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Stabbing.
Dec. 10, 1991 - The body of Bryan Ruff, a Kennecott security guard, was found July 10, 1993, in a shallow grave southwest of Fairfield, Utah County. He died of multiple gunshot wounds. Ruff, 22, was discovered missing from his guard shack Dec. 10, 1991. His half-eaten lunch was inside the shack and his locked car was in the parking lot. Detectives were stumped, but investigated many leads that he may have walked away on his own accord. Detectives have some suspects and are continuing to work on the case. They believe he was killed the night he disappeared and his death is classified as a 1991 homicide. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Gunshots.
Murray
1. March 6 - Phranquee "Frankie" Binkerd, 14, Murray, was shot in face about 12:30 a.m. while she was at a boyfriend's house, 6152 S. Clay Street. The boy, 16, shot the girl while handling a .357-caliber revolver. She was living at his home at the time. The county attorney declined to prosecute and the death was ruled an accident. Motive: Accident. Cause: Gunshot.
2. Aug. 9 - Deepika Jackson, 29, died of strangulation. Her husband, Gregory Jackson, 32, was charged with murder. The couple had been divorced twice and re-married for the third time the previous week. Police say the couple had a long history of violence. Gregory Jackson was later declared incompetent and is at the Utah State Hospital. Motive: Anger. Cause: Strangled.
3. Nov. 2 - Monica Vigil, 17, shot at least twice by a gunman who fired through the open bedroom window at her great grandmother's house, 4716 S. Boxelder St., where she had been living. Vigil witnessed the Sept. 1 gang-related shooting death of her uncle, Aaron Chapman, outside the Triad Amphitheater and was to be a witness in the trial of Asi Mohi. Ex-boyfriend Jason Richard Garcia, 18, was charged with Vigil's murder. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21. Alleged motive: Jealousy, anger. Cause: Gunshots.
West Valley City
1. March 9 - Alfred C. Aragon Jr., 22, was stabbed in chest and back in a 7-Eleven parking lot at 3510 S. Redwood. The stabbing occurred after he chased down two men driving in a car and hit one of them, Steven Strahm, with a pipe. Strahm, 34, was booked into jail for investigation of murder but later released. Prosecutors declined to file any charge against him because much of the evidence indicated the stabbing was in self-defense. Motive: Self-defense, possibly anger. Cause: Stabbing.
2. March 25 - JoAnne Marquez, 33, died in a murder-suicide at 3910 S. Benview Ave. (45430 South). Her body was found under a sheet in an upstairs bedroom. She had been stabbed several times from her ankles to her face with an 8-inch kitchen knife. Blood found on the walls and doors indicates she may have tried to escape. Police believe her husband Kenneth Marquez, 35, hanged himself the next morning. Motive: Anger. Cause: Stabbing.
3. June 10 - Alec Cisneros, 8 months, was found dead inside the garage of the house at 3945 S. Kings Estate Drive (7160 West). His mother, Lisa Cisneros, 24, was also dead. Police and fire investigators were canvassing the neighborhood around the house, investigating a May 7 arson at that address. They watched as the occupant, Darren Edgar, 26, approached the house in his car and opened the garage door with an automatic opener. Officers heard Edgar yell as the door was going up and looked to see the car belonging to his estranged girlfriend, Lisa, inside with the motor running. Police labeled the case a murder-suicide. Motive: Distraught over relationship. Cause: Carbon monoxide poisoning (Lisa) and asphyxiation (Alec).
4. June 23 - Leslie Jean Nelson Carver, 38, died after a domestic dispute at her home, 3503 Harrisonwood. According to a West Valley police report, she became upset when her husband hit their 13-year-old son while disciplining him. Leslie Carver apparently began hitting her husband, Richard Carver, who was on crutches. He put his crutch to her stomach to push her away, the report states. She was taken to the hospital after she fainted and died the next day. The medical examiner indicated her death was a homicide, but she also had leukemia, which contributed to her death. The county attorney declined to file any charges. Motive: Anger. Cause: Leukemia, physical force.
5. Nov. 11 - Micki Jensen, 33, was found dead in a home at 6910 W. 3980 South, where she had lived for about a month with her boyfriend, Steven May, 24, who was also found dead. Police received a call from a woman who said her brother had called to tell her he had just killed his girlfriend and that he may have broken her neck. Jensen's 4-year-old daughter was in the house when her mother was killed and apparently witnessed some of the trauma and notified a neighbor. Jensen had been strangled and both Jensen and May had been shot with a 7mm rifle. Motive: Unknown. Cause: Strangulation and gunshots.
West Jordan
1. Sept. 25 - Sherry Preator, 32, was shot and a friend, 28-year-old Jesse Espinoza, Kearns, was wounded in the leg and hip after a man entered Preator's home at 6986 S. 1520 West with a gun. Despite his wounds, Espinoza eventually made his way to a house halfway down the block, where a neighbor called police. The woman's former boyfriend, Clifford L. Crawford, 44, was charged with murder, attempted murder and aggravated burglary. Alleged motive: Anger and jealousy. Cause: Gunshot.
Summit County
1. Aug. 21 - Douglas C. Koehler, 31, of South Salt Lake, was shot once in the chest in a condominium parking lot near ParkWest ski resort. David Nelson Thacker, 26, of Unionville, Nev., was charged with murder, and Clint Marcus Crane, 21, of Albion, Idaho, was charged with obstructing justice. Thacker kicked Koehler out of his apartment after Koehler allegedly tried to kiss him. Crane said that some time later, Thacker decided to "go get the guy" and both drove to find him. Koehler was shot while his hands were in his pockets, police said. Trial for Thacker is set, but Crane has agreed to testify and the charge against him is on hold. Alleged motive: Anger, possible hate crime. Cause: Gunshot.
Davis County
1. March 3 - Bobbi Jo Womack, 18, was found dead in a burning garage behind her home in Layton. Womack was disabled and suffered brain damage from an accident several years before. Her guardians, John and Tonya Vosburgh, were charged with arson and murder and accused of setting the fire that killed Womack to collect on a $100,000 life insurance policy they took out on her. Trial for the couple has been delayed several times. Tonya Vosburgh, 33, has suffered seizures and several strokes since falling and hitting her head in her apartment in August. On Dec. 2, a judge granted her parents, Brooks and Geraldine Watson, control over their daughter's legal defense and will decide on the custody issue on Jan. 7. Alleged motive: Greed. Cause: Burning.
2. July 16 - Thomas Bridges Jr., 9 months old, was shaken to death inside his Layton trailer home. A 15-year-old Missouri boy baby-sitting the child while the parents went swimming admitted he shook the infant to make him stop crying. The boy pleaded guilty in juvenile court to a reduced charge of negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to an extended probation. Three days after the baby died, his father, Thomas Bridges, was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a car while on his way to Hill Air Force Base. Motive: Anger, frustration. Cause: Shaking.
3. Nov. 7 - Michael Dilello, 33, was shot several times while trying to force his way into his brother's Clearfield mobile home. Joseph Dilello, 28, was charged with murder. Police say the brothers had argued through most of the evening on Nov. 6 and when Michael left his brother's mobile home, where he had been staying during a divorce and custody battle, the younger Dilello told him not to return. Michael came back and was shot numerous times with a .22-caliber rifle while trying to force his way into the home. A medical examiner's report indicates at least seven of the bullets were fired into Michael's back. Alleged motive: Anger. Cause: Gunshot.
Utah County
1. Feb. 19 - Larry G. Hazel, 32, was stabbed in the upper chest following a fight with his wife in their southeast Spanish Fork home. Julia S. Hazel said her husband was beating her and tried to rape her before she stabbed him with a kitchen knife. She said her husband had beaten her for several years. Julia Hazel pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony. She will be sentenced Jan. 4. Alleged motive: Anger, spouse abuse. Cause: Stabbing.
2. April 26 - Darld Austin Day, 2 months, died April 26 at Primary Children's Medical Center of injuries suffered four days earlier at his Orem home while being tended by his father. Tony R. Day, 20, pleaded guilty in September to manslaughter, a second-degree felony. He said he shook his son when he became frustrated that the child would not stop crying. The child was ill from vaccinations he had received the day before. Tony Day was sentenced to six months in the Utah County Jail, fined $925 and ordered to pay restitution. Motive: Anger, frustration. Cause: Shaking.
3. Oct. 8 - Robbie Miller-Porter, 36, was found dead in the basement of her Provo home alongside the body of her husband, local physician Doran V. Porter, 60. The state medical examiner's office ruled that Miller-Porter was shot in the head by her husband, who then killed himself. The weapon was a .45-caliber Colt semi-automatic handgun. Motive: Unknown, possibly anger. Cause: Gunshot.
Deseret News staff writers Jim Rayburn, Don Rosebrock and Steve Fidel contributed to this report.
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(Chart)
Homicides 1993
Area Homicides
Salt Lake City 22
Salt Lake County 10
(unincorporated)
West Valley City 5
Murray 3
West Jordan 1
Davis County 3
Summit county 1
Tooele County 0
Utah County 3