SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake man accused of attempted murder in the July 5 stabbing of a prominent Utah attorney was charged Tuesday with shoplifting nine days before the alleged attack.
Matthew Christopher Wall, 28 — already facing first-degree felony charges of attempted murder and aggravated burglary in the stabbing of attorney Steve Killpack — was hit with a third-degree felony retail theft charge Tuesday.
On June 26, Wall tried on a $489 coat at Nordstrom Rack, 2236 S. 1300 East, and attempted to leave the store without paying for it, according to charges filed in 3rd District Court.
A store employee apprehended Wall and detained him until police arrived, the charges state.
The next week, Wall was arrested following an apparent home invasion at 1212 E. 200 South that left Killpack with stab wounds in the head and neck.
Wall also was charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, in connection with the July 5 incident. He is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail on $1 million bond on those charges.
Wall's criminal history includes a conviction in 2003 of forgery and theft by receiving stolen property, retail theft in 2011, as well as attempted burglary and theft by receiving stolen property in a separate case, according to state court records. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia last month.
Killpack worked with the Utah County Public Defenders Association before helping establish the Federal Public Defenders Office. He also assisted in defending Brian David Mitchell, who was convicted of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. Killpack has also worked on many other high-profile cases, including the Ron Lafferty case.
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com