The woman whose body was found burning off the side of I-80 was killed by blunt-force trauma to the throat, according to a preliminary autopsy report.
Documents filed Monday in 3rd District Court revealed for the first time how Kellie Nelson was killed. The Utah state medical examiner said she was deceased before her body was set on fire the evening of Dec. 1 near 9000 West.
Sally Ann Krivanek was arrested and charged with criminal homicide and desecration of a dead body in connection with the incident. She is currently being held in the Salt Lake County Jail on $1 million bail for the slaying and an additional $50,000 for five unrelated counts of prescription fraud.
Court documents also revealed Monday that Kevin Wolters, Nelson's live-in fiance, told Krivanek two or three months ago that Nelson was pregnant. However, law enforcement officials said Tuesday that there was no evidence from the medical examiner's office that showed Nelson was actually pregnant. Wolters dated Krivanek several years ago but remained friends with her up until the time of the slaying.
According to court documents, Krivanek called deputies shortly after the slaying murderusing the name "Chantel." She told them she had been raped by a Hispanic man she met two weeks earlier, court documents stated. Krivanek told investigators the man came to her house the evening of Dec. 1 smelling of gasoline. When she refused his sexual advances, the man said he would "kill her and burn her up like he did the other girl."
Krivanek was arrested after investigators traced those calls back to her, and she was questioned about Nelson's slaying. As of Tuesday, investigators had not been able to verify that the Hispanic man Krivanek talked about actually existed.
Search warrants were executed on Krivanek's house, 743 S. Windsor (860 East), Dec. 3 and 4. Investigators found a pair of blue pants with what appeared to be bloodstains on them, according to court documents. Tissues with more blood were found in a garbage can in the bathroom.
A roll of clear packaging tape was also found in Krivanek's house, according to court documents. When detectives examined Nelson's clothing Dec. 9, they found a piece of cardboard with "Weber.com" stenciled on it and a piece of clear packaging tape attached to the box.
Three notes to Wolters, a note from "KW," a black wig and a black sleeveless hooded garment were some of the other items recovered from the house. One of the notes was an e-mail Krivanek sent to Wolters talking about ways to have paternity tests conducted.
Shoes that matched foot impressions taken from the area where Nelson's body was burned were also seized from Krivanek's house, court documents stated.
Krivanek rented a U-Haul van Nov. 30 and returned it Dec. 2. She told others that she needed it to deliver a Christmas present to Wolters. The van was seized by investigators Dec. 6. Technicians from the Utah State Crime Lab recovered several hairs and fibers from the van, court documents stated.
Krivanek's next scheduled court appearance is Dec. 23.
E-MAIL: preavy@desnews.com