SALT LAKE CITY — A jury returned three guilty verdicts Thursday in the case of Michael Jones, an admitted drug dealer who killed Tara Brennan six years ago this month.
The four-man, four-woman jury deliberated just 3 1/2 hours before convicting Jones of murder and aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, along with distribution of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony.
Jones will be sentenced April 16.
Frances Nilson, the dead woman's mother, wept as the verdict was read.
Outside the courtroom, she said that justice had been served.
"My feeling is that I am just so grateful to a detective, to the prosecutors, to a crime lab, who worked so hard," Nilson said. "I've waited six years for justice, and I'm so glad that it's over."
As for Jones' sentence, Nilson said she would leave it up to the judge to decide his fate.
Prosecutor Katherine Bernards-Goodman told the jury during closing arguments at the end of the four-day trial that the inside of Brennan's car held the key clues that pointed to Jones — especially his DNA on a cigarette butt, his DNA under Brennan's fingernails, and his DNA on the belt that was used to strangle Brennan.
Prosecutor Katherine Bernards-Goodman told the jury during closing arguments at the end of the four-day trial that the inside of Brennan's car held the key clues that pointed to Jones in the Feb. 24, 2004, crime — especially his DNA on a cigarette butt, his DNA under Brennan's fingernails, and his DNA on the belt that was used to strangle Brennan.
Jones was desperate for the $200 in Brennan's wallet, and drug addicts do desperate things, Bernards-Goodman said.
"When you are a drug addict, money is your master," she said. "That $200 in her wallet is his fix for today and tomorrow. He isn't worried about losing a customer. There are plenty of people driving to Pioneer Park looking for drugs."
Bernards-Goodman said this was a violent crime and, to people who are not substance abusers, killing someone for $200 does not make sense.
"Who does such a thing?" the prosecutor asked. "A doped-up drug addict."
Brennan's car was found by Poplar Grove Park, near 800 South and 1200 West, with a window rolled down. Jones told police Brennan had come to him at a homeless shelter seeking drugs and he helped her buy crack cocaine, which they smoked in her car. They also shared a cigarette, he told police.
However, Jones has insisted all along that Brennan was "fine" when he got out of the vehicle and left.
The 28-year-old woman had graduated from Stanford University, and while there, she became addicted to cocaine. After going into various drug rehabilitation programs in California, she returned to her mother's home in Utah to take part in a 12-step program.
Defense attorney Lawrence Sleight said police neglected to investigate DNA on cigarettes found outside the car, footprints within the vehicle, a blond hair found outside and a report that a blond man was seen cleaning the car out that morning.
As for Jones' DNA, Sleight said it could have been transferred to Brennan as they shared a crack pipe and cigarette, and the belt might have fallen from the homeless man's backpack.
"Why would Michael Jones kill this woman?" Sleight asked. "If you're the middleman, you can't support your own habit if you don't have clients."
Sleight also suggested it was possible the crime was committed by another woman, who then positioned Brennan's body to make it look as if a sex crime had occurred to throw police off.
"Her throat was cut from side to side, and she was strangled," he said. "It was horrific. Whoever did this to this woman did not like her."
Bernards-Goodman said police worked on this case for years, gathered extensive evidence and interviewed between 30 and 40 people. What happened outside the vehicle was not important, since DNA from multiple sources is virtually everywhere: "We're worried about what happened in that car."
Bernards-Goodman also scoffed at the idea that Jones was grooming Brennan to be a repeat customer.
" 'Right now' is how an addict thinks," she said.
e-mail: lindat@desnews.com