SALT LAKE CITY — Murder charges were filed Friday in 3rd District Court against Thomas Kumalac, in the death of Jessica Jensen, whose body was found under a bed at a Salt Lake motel.
Jensen, 25, was found June 2 at the Capitol Motel at 1749 S. State Street after a patron complained to motel employees about an odor in her room.
Kumalac, 28, was arrested the next day and booked into the Cache County Jail for investigation of murder in Jensen's death. He now faces charges for murder, a first-degree felony, and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
Motel records indicated that Kumalac checked into the room where Jensen was found on May 27 and checked out on May 31, the charges state. Officers also located video surveillance that shows Kumalac and Jensen arriving at the motel together. The video also shows Kumalac later leaving the room where Jensen was found and discarding a bag in a Dumpster.
Police officers searched the Dumpster and located a bag containing a bloody pillow case, bloody shirt and a small backpack containing papers with Jensen's name on them, the charges state.
The charges also include the statement of the individual who performed Jensen's autopsy, indicating that Jensen died from strangulation and multiple stab wounds to the torso.
Kumalac told police that while in the motel he approached Jensen from behind, strangled her, stabbed her with a knife and hid her body under the bed, the charges state.
— Benjamin Wood