This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Magna man was charged with murder Friday for allegedly choking a female acquaintance unconsciousness, then leaving her in car at a West Valley City park.
Following the Oct. 16 attack, 24-year-old Nisha Fnu never regained consciousness and died Friday at a hospital.
Notified of Fnu's death, prosecutors charged 29-year-old Jeffrey Allan Larson in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony obstructing justice.
Larson had been arrested on Oct. 17, and has been held at the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $1 million bail, cash-only.
No court dates were immediately set.
At about 6:30 a.m. on Oct.16, police received an anonymous 911 call from a man who said a woman needed help inside a vehicle at West View Park, 4100 S. 6000 West, according to charges.
West Valley City police responded and found Fnu unconscious in back seat of her car. She was taken to a hospital, where doctors said she had suffered injuries consistent with strangulation, including brain injury due to a lack of oxygen.
Medical care for Fnu was withdrawn on Oct. 29, and she died on Friday, charges state.
Police were eventually able to track the 911 call to Larson.
He had placed the call on Fnu's cell phone, but verbally provided a different number to the 911 dispatcher. Police traced the provided number to a woman who listened to the recording of the 911 call and identified the man as Larson, who is her grandson, charges state. The woman also told police that Fnu was an acquaintance of Larson's, charges state.
Following his arrest, Larson allegedly told police that he met Fnu at a grocery store parking lot near 5600 South and 4100 South at about 11 p.m. on Oct. 15.
They got into the back seat of Larson's car, where they started to argue and physically fight, charges state.
Larson described twice grabbing Fnu by the neck, and said her eyes rolled back and that she started to shake as if she were having a seizure, charges state, after which Fnu became unconscious.
Larson told police he knew Fnu "was in bad shape," charges state.
He drove his car to the park, then walked back to the store to retrieve Fnu's vehicle, which he also drove to the park. There, he put Fnu in the back seat of her own car, charges state.
Larson went home, changed his clothes and returned to the park several hours later, where he saw that Fnu was still in the backseat of her car, charges state.
Larson told police that after making the 911 call, he dismantled Fnu's phone and threw it and the battery out car window at different locations because he was afraid he was "going to get busted," charges state.
Police recovered the phone in a ditch near 9200 West and 2800 South. One of Fnu's shoes was found nearby. A lanyard belonging to Fnu was found in Larson's backpack, charges state.