A man who brutally raped a woman in Butterfield Canyon where she had gone to photograph wildlife and later tried to hire someone to kill her pleaded guilty to reduced charges Monday.
Dale Joseph Labrum, 38, pleaded guilty to one first-degree count of aggravated sexual assault, which carries a potential sentence of five years to life in prison and also pleaded guilty to a second-degree count of criminal solicitation, which could net him one to 15 years in prison.
In return, 3rd District Judge Stephen Roth dismissed a second count of aggravated sexual assault and a first-degree count of aggravated kidnapping and reduced the criminal solicitation from a first-degree to second-degree felony.
Prosecutor Dane Nolan later said the arrangement made sense since it spares the victim from having to testify at a trial and removes concerns law enforcement officials have about a jailhouse cellmate who apparently served as a go-between to start arrangements for the planned hit.
Nolan described Labrum as exhibiting "very scary behavior" and termed the outcome "certainly appropriate."
In court, Nolan recounted the events of July 22, 2001, when the woman was taking pictures. Labrum zoomed up on a motorcycle, threatened her with a knife, hit her head against a tree and kicked her in the ribs, handcuffed her to a tree and raped her twice, then removed the handcuffs but left her tied there with shoelaces.
Nolan also described how Labrum spoke on the phone with a Salt Lake County Sheriff's detective posing as a hit man and asked that "The headache — meaning the victim — be taken care of." Labrum also arranged for his wife to travel here from Montana to give the man $500, Nolan said.
Labrum's attorney, Manny Garcia, said outside the courtroom that he, too, was satisfied with the plea bargain since prosecutors had "pretty compelling" evidence.
"Mr. Labrum wants to accept responsibility for what he's done," Garcia said. "We hope that will help the victim somewhat, although we realize this is a very terrible thing." Garcia said that Labrum, who has no criminal history, feels bad about what happened and that this conduct was "very different" for him.
The judge ordered a diagnostic evaluation by the Utah Department of Corrections prior to sentencing on July 15.
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