SALT LAKE CITY — Losing a judgment in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit had a profound impact on the owners of the La Caille Restaurant, friends said.
"They were just devastated that they lost it," Marcia Mackey said. "They just couldn't believe it. … They were just really upset."
Mackey was a close friend of Lisa Runolfson, whose body was discovered Christmas Day in a Provo hotel along with her husband, Steven Runolfson. Police say the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide pact, with Steven shooting his spouse before turning the gun on himself.
Still, following the deaths of Steven and Lisa Runolfson, there are many questions remaining about what prompted them to take their lives.
No known motive for the murder-suicide pact has been released. But there is speculation the protracted legal battle between co-owners of the upscale French restaurant may be a cause.
Earlier this year, a court ruled in favor of former La Caille co-owner Mark Haug, awarding him $4.7 million in a civil lawsuit filed in 2006. Haug had been a minority partner — owning a 4 percent stake in the restaurant located at 9565 S. Wasatch Blvd.
Steven Runolfson and David Johnson had co-owned the establishment since 1973. The Runolfsons also lived on the 20-acre restaurant property, where Steven served as president and chief executive officer of the business.
At one time, Haug also resided on the east-bench property in an 800-square-foot cabin overlooking Little Cottonwood Creek.
In the civil suit filed in February 2006, Haug claimed that Runolfson and Johnson attempted to "expel" Haug from the partnership and filed false criminal charges with the Salt Lake County sheriff accusing Haug of misappropriating funds and fraudulently receiving more than $240,000 by "improperly obtaining a credit card in the company name."
Court documents also stated that Johnson and Runolfson secretly schemed to transfer assets out of the company and contrived a plan to eliminate Haug's ownership in La Caille.
Prosecutors eventually dropped the criminal charges, and this past March, a jury awarded Haug the $4.7 million, including punitive damages in the civil case.
At the time of the shootings, the two sides were awaiting a ruling on Haug's $2 million in legal bills. Also, international realty firm Sotheby's has the La Caille property listed for sale for about $20 million.
According to court records, the initial agreement formally recognizing the three men's partnership and ownership in La Caille was signed in 1989. In that agreement, Johnson would have 70 percent interest, Runolfson would own 26 percent and Haug would control 4 percent.
The agreement was amended in 1993 to include provisions detailing what would happen in the event of one of the partner's deaths.
In a statement released Monday, Haug's attorney, James Magelby, said his client was "surprised and deeply upset" upon learning of the Runolfsons' deaths. He also rejected the notion that the civil lawsuit verdict was a contributing factor in the murder-suicide.
He added that Steven Runolfson had interacted "professionally and graciously" with Haug during the legal proceedings and other personal encounters as well as outside social events.
Magelby also said his client had offered to settle the lawsuit and a mutually beneficial agreement was imminent.
"We also believe the dispute was very close to a settlement that would have left all of the La Caille partners financially independent and allowed the parties to move on with their lives," he said.
e-mail: jlee@desnews.com