This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Troy James Knapp, who police believe is the notorious cabin burglar known as the "Mountain Man," lost his bid Wednesday to change the lawyer representing him.
Knapp, 45, told 6th District Judge Wallace Lee that he didn't trust his public defender, Lawrence Hunt.
"I don't see how I can go into the future not trusting somebody who's supposed to be defending me," Knapp told the judge.
In denying Knapp's request for a new attorney, the judge told Knapp that the area is rural and resources are limited, according to court documents.
The Sanpete County Attorney's Office has charged Knapp with a total of six felonies and five misdemeanors in three separate cases: three counts of second-degree felony burglary; theft by receiving stolen property, a second-degree felony; use of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony; third-degree felony criminal mischief; three counts of class B misdemeanor theft and two counts of criminal mischief, also class B misdemeanor.
Probable cause statements for the three cases cite separate cabin break-ins that took place in October 2012. In one case, the owner of a cabin in Fairview Canyon complained that his cabin had been broken into, and when a Sanpete sheriff's deputy inspected the building, he saw an upstairs bedroom had been inhabited. There were no signs anything had been taken, but it looked as if someone had rummaged through dresser drawers, and a closet door was broken.
In another case, a cabin owner complained that food, pliers and a flashlight had been stolen from his Fairview cabin, and a bottle of liquor and box of Oreos had been consumed.
In the third case, a Fairview cabin owner called police after their cabin was burglarized and a hatchet and GPS system were stolen. Ammo and guns were moved around the cabin, according to court documents, but none were taken.
Knapp complained to the judge Wednesday that he has reached out to his attorney with questions about his case that have gone unanswered. He said he was also concerned about federal charges coming that he felt would be "double jeopardy."
Sanpete County Attorney Brody Keisel said after Knapp's arrest in April that federal charges may be filed against the "Mountain Man" regarding crimes he allegedly committed during his capture, when police say he fired a rifle at a Department of Public Safety helicopter and pointed the weapon at Emery County Sheriff Greg Funk, one of about 50 law officers who converged on Knapp near Ferron Reservoir.
Knapp is expected to be in court again Monday for a preliminary hearing.
Sanpete is the fourth county to file charges against Knapp. In 2012, Iron, Kane and Garfield counties filed their own burglary-related charges. As of Thursday, Knapp had 19 felonies and 10 misdemeanors — mostly burglary and theft — filed against him.
Twitter: @jm_miller