PROVO — A man convicted of trying to hire a hit man to kill a Utah County prosecutor has been sentenced to prison.
A judge ordered Karl Otterson, 41, to serve five years to life for trying to arrange the death of Deputy Utah County Attorney David Sturgill, who was prosecuting him for a felony sex abuse case.
During a sentencing hearing Thursday in 4th District Court, prosecutors asked that Judge Gary Stott be strict.
"The state believes there are actually two victims, Mr. Sturgill and second, the justice system," said Annmarie Howard, deputy Juab County Attorney, who prosecuted the case with Jared Eldridge, Juab County Attorney.
"Prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges work tirelessly every day taking risks. We would like a message sent to those who would attack the system or try to intimidate that this not be tolerated."
Howard also asked Stott to consider the impact to Sturgill, who was not harmed, and his wife, who has an increased concern for his safety.
Otterson was convicted last month of trying to arrange the hit on Sturgill while he was at the Utah County Jail awaiting trial on sex-abuse charges.
He met with a man posing as a hit man. Otterson promised him $500 immediately and $4,500 more when he was out of jail.
That man was an undercover officer who had been sent to talk with Otterson after an inmate gave officials the tip that Otterson had been asking about how he could "take care of Sturgill."
However, Otterson's attorney, Dana Facemyer, argued during the trial that his client was duped by other inmates and thought he was arranging payment for sex-offender therapy.
The jury didn't believe him and found him guilty of first-degree felony criminal solicitation of aggravated murder.
Otterson is in the Utah State Prison serving time for his previous sex abuse case — the one prosecuted by Sturgill.
In that case, Otterson was sentenced to 15 years to life for one count of sodomy on a child and 5 years to life for all four counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child. Of those terms, four will run consecutively and one concurrently.
The new case will run consecutively, meaning after his other sentences are served.
E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com