A Nebraska man has pleaded guilty to dumping his friend's body on Utah Hill.
Rick Lee Kelley, 42, of North Platte, Neb., pleaded guilty to one count of desecrating a human body, a third degree felony.He could face up to five years in prison, but, as part of a plea agreement, Washington County attorneys recommended 36 months probation and a reduction of the felony charge to a class A misdemeanor once probation is complete.
County Attorney Brian Filter said Kelley has no known prior record and it was not likely he would have gone to jail.
Judge James L. Shumate ordered a presentence report to determine for certain if Kelley has a prior arrest record. Filter said he also hopes it will shed some light on why Kelley dumped the body of Amy Britt on Utah Hill on Nov. 25, 1997.
Defense attorney Jim Dent declined comment on his clients' actions or motivations.
Shumate said Britt, 29, a mother of two from Ansely, Neb., died of a methamphetamine overdose on the road from California. Police said Kelley hid the body about 100 yards off U.S. 91 in a stand of sagebrush.
Sentencing was set for Aug. 19. The late sentencing date was set to accommodate Kelley, who intends to post bail and return to Nebraska. Bail was reduced to $5,000.