Two women charged with murder and aggravated robbery waived their preliminary hearings Monday in court.
Melissa Angela Chacon, 29, and Melissa Christina Caputo, 27, appeared separately before 3rd District Judge Sheila McCleve. Each is charged with murder, aggravated robbery and obstruction of justice, all first-degree felonies, as well as a second-degree felony charge of possession of a dangerous weapon.
The women, along with Julian Treyvail Hayden, 24, and Marcus Lamont Crocker, 25, were charged earlier this year in connection with a 4-year-old murder case out of Salt Lake City.
Kang Ho Lee, 24, was unarmed and working at the Sunshine Market, 1845 S. 700 East, on Sept. 6, 2001 when he was shot and killed during a robbery, even though he offered no resistance while complying with the robbers' demands.
Hayden allegedly provided the weapon allegedly used by Crocker to shoot Lee, according to court documents. Crocker, Caputo and Chacon allegedly returned the firearm to Hayden immediately following the incident.
During Monday's hearing for Caputo, McCleve rejected a defense motion asking for Caputo to be released to an in-patient drug treatment program that had agreed to accept her.
Prosecutor Vince Meister, with the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office, opposed the motion. He noted that, based on the seriousness of the charges, Caputo was a flight risk, Odyssey House was not a secure facility and there were concerns for Caputo's safety because several credible threats have been made against witnesses in the case.
Arraignments for both women were scheduled for Dec. 9 in front of Judge Denise Lindberg.
Chacon is already serving time at the Utah State Prison on an unrelated charge. Crocker is incarcerated in a federal prison in Oklahoma, also on an unrelated charge.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com