This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The second of three people charged in the death of West Valley City man who was run over while trying to stop the defendants from stealing a trailer has been sentenced to prison.
Jess Floyd Searle, 35, of West Valley City — who had pleaded guilty to second-degree felony counts of manslaughter and obstructing justice — was sentenced Monday to one to 15 years at the Utah State Prison for the December 2015 death of Eric Carter.
Searle and two co-defendants all were charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony counts of murder, robbery and burglary, as well as second-degree felony obstructing justice.
Last year, Jeanette Teddie Miner, 28, received a similar one-to-15-year prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to second-degree felony counts of manslaughter and obstruction of justice.
A third defendant, Jay Richard Urry, 42, is scheduled for trial on June 6.
Carter was killed while attempting to stop the trio from driving away with a Wells Cargo utility trailer that belonged to a friend of his, according to charging documents.
Searle and Urry went to the area of 4840 West and 4500 South, in West Valley City, between midnight and 1 a.m. Dec. 22 in Miner's pickup truck to steal items they believed had been abandoned, and also stole the trailer, charges state. They allegedly returned at 5:30 p.m., this time with Miner, to steal more property.
Carter confronted them and demanded that they not steal the trailer, which was attached to the pickup truck, according to charges. As the three defendants left, with Searle driving, Carter jumped into the truck bed and called 911 to report the theft.
Searle drove to a nearby church, where he got out of the pickup and walked away, and Miner then got behind the wheel. She caught up with Searle and said, "Get him out of the truck," charges state.
Searle allegedly pushed Carter, who fell, and Miner quickly accelerated and felt a bump as the trailer traveled over him, charges state.
Searle allegedly fled and discarded his sweater to avoid being identified, while Miner and Urry abandoned the trailer in West Valley City and the truck in Kearns. According to court documents, Miner reported her truck had been stolen in an attempt to avoid going to jail.