Utah man who spent more than half his life in prison for murder kills himself rather than be arrested again

A man who spent more of his life inside prison walls than out, shot himself in the head and died Wednesday night, rather than let surrounding officers arrest him again.

David J. Corona died about 9:10 p.m. near 1600 W. Northstar Drive (300 North), in Salt Lake City, said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Derryl Spencer.

Corona had served 23 years in prison for a murder he committed at age 18, and was released on parole in May.

On Oct. 18, Corona, now 43, violated his parole “by having a positive U/A [urine analysis] and for trying to defeat/alter the U/A sample,” according to Utah Department of Corrections spokeswoman Maria Peterson.

The next day, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole issued an arrest warrant for Corona, now 43, and Corrections officials asked the U.S. Marshals’ Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team to help detain the fugitive, Spencer said Friday.

A deputy from the U.S. Marshals Office began working the case a few days later, Spencer said, and at about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, officers located Corona’s vehicle in Salt Lake City.

Soon after, an officer spotted Corona smoking and exiting a trailer, Spencer said. Officers stationed in the area saw Corona get into his vehicle and drive around the neighborhood.

At one point, Corona pulled his car over to the side of the road and appeared to be on his phone, Spencer said. After that, Corona exited his vehicle and started walking around.

When officers approached him, Corona broke into a run and headed toward a brick wall.

With officers surrounding him and nowhere to go, Corona pulled out a gun.

“He made no overt action that he was going to shoot at us,” Spencer said. “The firearm came out and immediately went to his head.”

The man shot himself and died at the scene. Officers reported to dispatch that shots had been fired at 9:12 p.m.

Corona was convicted of first-degree felony counts of murder and aggravated robbery in early 1994.

Prosecutors said at the time that Corona had lured 21-year-old Greg Carrell to a field near the Jordan River in Salt Lake City on Dec. 21, 1992, under the pretense of selling him a kilo of cocaine.

Instead, Corona shot and killed Carrell and stole some $4,000 the victim had brought to buy the drugs.

Corona reported the murder the next day, and blamed another man for shooting the victim. The other man was acquitted by a jury in November 1994.