This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An Ogden man admitted Monday that he beat and strangled a woman to death inside her Washington Terrace home in February — a crime that was motivated by financial gain, according to court documents.
Lyle Robert London, 38, told a judge Monday that he wanted to plead guilty to first-degree felony aggravated murder to not only spare victim Lindsay Brown Holbrook's family from the pain of going through a trial, but also to protect his wife, Shuree Laness London — who also was charged in connection with the 32-year-old woman's Feb. 26 beating death.
According to his plea agreement, London will be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison at an Aug. 3 hearing.
Before entering his guilty plea, the defendant told 2nd District Judge Mark DeCaria that he would have accepted life without parole if it would resolve the case without having to hold a preliminary hearing or trial — where evidence of Holbrook's brutal murder would have been aired publicly.
"I do know what I'm signing for," London said on Monday in reference to his plea agreement documents. "…To make sure that I'm paying for the mistakes I've made."
But Lyle London also told the judge that prosecutors last week gave him an ultimatum: Plead guilty or they would file further felony charges against his wife.
Deputy Weber County Attorney Dean Saunders told the judge Monday that in addition a second-degree felony obstruction of justice charge with which Shuree London had already been charged, prosecutors could have added felony charges of child endangerment. Instead, prosecutors have agreed to reduce the woman's charge to a third-degree felony in exchange for her husband's guilty plea.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Saunders said of the plea deal. "It's completely above board."
A number of charges were also dismissed for Lyle London as part of his plea deal, including charges of second-degree felony obstructing justice, two counts of third-degree felony unlawful use of a credit card, third-degree felony desecration of a human body and class A misdemeanor giving false personal information to a police officer.
Shuree London, 35, also appeared in court on Monday, but her case was continued. She is expected to return to court on Sept. 14 for a disposition hearing.
Weber County deputies discovered Holbrook's body in her apartment after Lyle London had been involved in a hit-and-run accident near 30th Street and Harrison Boulevard while driving Holbrook's car on Feb. 27.
A detective recognized Holbrook, who lived at Woodland Cove Apartments at 374 E. Ridgeline Drive, as the victim of a financial crime that was under investigation. Lyle London was the suspect in that case, according to court records.
Court documents state that Lyle London told police that he was having sex with Holbrook and fell on top of her, possibly breaking her neck.
Lyle London said Holbrook "was still making noises so he wrapped his belt around her neck, duct-taped pillows around her head, and struck her multiple times in the head with a bat in an attempt to keep her quiet," court documents state.
He then wrapped the body in a blanket and hid it in a closet, court documents state.
Lyle London's attorney, James Retallick, said Monday that the medical examiner's report indicated that Holbrook died from blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.
After Holbrook's death — listed as Feb. 26 in court records — police found multiple withdrawals from her bank accounts and purchases with her credit cards, totaling more than $1,500, according to court records.
Lyle London allegedly admitted to this financial theft, according to charges.
Shuree London is accused of initially telling police that she had no knowledge of the homicide, court records state.
But the wife later admitted to police that she hid evidence of financial records her husband had taken from the victim's home, and that she knew of the homicide and had assisted her husband in trying to get money from the victim's bank accounts, charges state.
The woman also told police that her husband had told her that he planned to kill Holbrook, take her credit cards and financial information, and use the money to move both of them and their children to California in an RV.
Court records do not indicate how Lyle London knew the victim.
A search of Utah court records shows Lyle London has a history of misdemeanor convictions, beginning in 2000. They include theft, assault, possession of a controlled substance, criminal mischief and intoxication.
Shuree London's only prior conviction is for shoplifting in 2010.
Holbrook's family previously released a statement saying, "Lindsay was a loving mother, amazing aunt, wonderful sister, and she had an incredible sense of humor. She is loved by a lot of people and will be greatly missed."