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A Utah prisoner serving time for murder is under investigation after prosecutors say the inmate mailed a razor blade to a Utah County judge.
Ramon Somoza, 35, was convicted in September 2011 of first-degree felony murder and other charges for the 2009 shooting death of 46-year-old Jesus Landin.
Somoza — who testified that he acted in self-defense when he shot Landin in the basement of the Apollo dance hall in American Fork — is asking for a new trial, arguing in court papers that his attorneys erred in several ways during his trial.
The convicted killer, who is representing himself in court, is now being investigated after he allegedly attached a razor blade to legal documents sent to 4th District Judge Lynn Davis, according to Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander.
Grunander said the blade was attached to a proposed order that was hand-written by Somoza and received by the court in late April. The nine-page cover letter and proposed order contains no threats toward the judge, and appears to be a standard and innocuous court filing asking the judge to enter an order related to his request for a new trial and his decision to move forward without an attorney representing him.
Grunander said prosecutors expect to receive a detective's report later this week, and will then decide whether Somoza should be charged with a crime for sending the razor blade in the letter.
Utah State Prison spokeswoman Brooke Adams said in a statement Wednesday that the prison's mailroom staff randomly screens outgoing mail daily in an effort to prevent contraband from leaving the prison. She said they were contacted about the razor blade, have interviewed Somoza and will "take action as appropriate."
"While the circumstance surrounding how the razor ended up in the envelope are still under investigation," she said, "We are grateful no one was injured while handling the letter."
Somoza is expected in court on June 3 for oral arguments related to his motion for a new trial.
Along with a murder conviction, Somoza also was found guilty at trial of obstruction of justice and desecration of a human body for leaving Landin's body in a basement for days before wrapping it in plastic and tape and dumping it in the desert near Wendover.
At trial, Somoza testified that he shot Landin after the man charged at him with a screwdriver. But prosecutors said Somoza plotted to kill Landin because he worried the man was trying to ruin his dance hall and events business.
The two men had agreed to meet at the Apollo to settle a debt: Landin claimed he was owed $400 for work; Somoza disagreed but said he was willing to pay that much — just not that day.
Somoza testified he was talking on the phone when Landin became impatient, grabbed the phone and threw it aside.
When Landin pulled out a screwdriver, Somoza pulled out his gun.
According to Somoza's testimony, Landin said, "What the f—- do you think you're going to do with that?" Then the man stepped toward Somoza and he shot once.
Somoza said he paced in the basement room for a while when he "saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. He was coming at me again."
Somoza said he unloaded his gun, firing six more times at Landin.
"It was just instinct. I was trying to save my life," Somoza said.