Utah man acquitted of 2015 murder tied to trailer theft

After a three-day trial, a jury took about an hour and a half to find a Utah man not guilty of murder Thursday.

Jay Richard Urry, 43, claimed he was hoodwinked into helping steal property, which resulted in an altercation that ended with a man being fatally run over by a trailer two years ago.

An eight-member jury panel believed him. According to Utah law, you can be charged with murder if someone dies while you are committing certain felonies, robbery and burglary among them.

Urry, however, was found guilty of third-degree felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor criminal trespass. He was released from custody and will be sentenced Feb. 26.

Rudy Bautista, Urry’s attorney, said hopefully the judge will feel the two years Urry spent in jail leading up to the trial will be sufficient punishment for the crimes.

Urry claimed he had no role in the killing of 49-year-old Eric Carter in West Valley City. His co-defendants, Jeannette Teddie Miner, and Jesse Floyd Searle, pleaded guilty to to second-degree felony counts of manslaughter and obstructing justice, and both received one-to-15-year prison sentences.

Urry elected to roll the dice at trial despite being offered a plea deal this week which would have recommend he spend one additional year in jail.

Bautista said he always felt the law and facts were on his side, but murder trials can be unpredictable. He said he was pleased the jury focused on the law rather than the dramatic elements of the case.

The three defendants were all charged with first-degree felony murder in the December 2015 death of Carter. While Searle, 36, and Miner, 28, admitted their role, Urry contends he was duped by Searle.

At around 5:30 p.m on Dec. 22, 2015, Searle, Minter and Urry went to the area of 4840 West and 4500 South, in West Valley City, in Miner’s pickup truck to take some property. According to Bautista, Searle told Urry that someone had stolen a mountain bike from him and for compensation he was allowed to take a trailer and some other items from the property.

Urry, Bautista said, was just helping out his friend.

When he took the stand, Bautista said, Searle testified he had lied when he told Urry he had permission to take the items. However Searle said that Urry still should have known it was theft.

Carter came home to find his friend’s trailer hooked to Miner’s truck, Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Riley Player said during opening statements. When Carter questioned him, Searle, who was driving, said he was with a bank and was repossessing the trailer, according to an account from Miner.

Carter didn’t buy it, and jumped on the running board of the pickup. He clutched the side-view mirror as Searle drove off, Player said. At a red light, he hopped into the truck bed and called 911.

During the 911 recording, which was played in court, Carter is heard trying to describe his whereabouts for several minutes. Eventually, it sounds like he put the phone down and a muffled confrontation can be heard. Then, a couple minutes of Carter moaning in the background is heard.

According to Player, the trio drove to a church parking lot. Searle got out of the car and started walking away. Urry got out of the truck and tried to disconnect the trailer but was only able to undo the latch.

Urry then got back in the truck and told Miner to drive around in a rough way, hoping the trailer would bounce off the hitch. Bautista said Urry was just trying to get away from the trailer and Carter, and remove himself from the situation.

The plan didn’t work, and when Searle walked back up to the truck, Miner told him to get Carter — who was then standing on the tongue of the trailer — off.

Searle pushed Carter, and yelled at Miner to drive. She ran over Carter, causing severe head injuries.

“I guess we’re real criminals now,” Player claims Urry said to Miner. Bautista disputes the quote.

The first responding officer reported what he thought was a gunshot wound to the head due to the excessive amount of blood covering Carter’s face. The officer said Carter’s head was misshapen, and his eyes were bulging from his skull.

The three defendants fled, abandoning the trailer in West Valley City and the truck in Kearns. Miner then reported her truck has been stolen.

Bautista said during opening statements that while Miner and Searle lied to police when first interrogated, Urry’s story has remained the same. And in closing arguments, Bautista said evidence and accounts from Miner and Searle had been conflicting.

“If you don’t know who to believe, than the state of Utah hasn’t proven this case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Bautista told the jury Thursday.

After being sentenced, Miner and Searle agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify against Urry after the district attorney’s office offered to send letters to the parole board explaining how the two inmates were being helpful.

Their stories suddenly changed, Bautista said, to further incriminate Urry.

“Their testimony is purchased,” Bautista told the jury.