Man accused of killing woman after she rejected his advances

A West Valley City man is accused of suffocating or strangling a woman in a Salt Lake City motel room after she rejected his advances multiple times.

In charges filed Tuesday, investigators wrote that a witness said Minh Dong Trinh, 41, was wrestling and “horse playing around” with 30-year-old Elizabeth Silver on Oct. 7 in a room at the Main Street Motel, 1530 S. Main St., when the “wrestling started to get rough.”

The witness said Trinh had his arms around Silver’s head and neck, and he heard the sound of a person struggling to breathe, police wrote. He said they continued to “wrestle” until Silver was sitting with her head slumped over and Trinh left the room, police wrote. The witness said he fell asleep and woke up to find Silver had not moved. A medical examiner found Silver died of asphyxiation, police wrote.

Trinh later told investigators he had gone to the motel room with his girlfriend to use drugs, and Silver also was there, police wrote.

“He stated that he kissed Ms. Silver’s neck and that he offered to pay Ms. Silver with drugs or money for sex. He stated that she repeatedly said no,” investigators wrote. “Defendant stated that he put his hand down her shirt and tried to touch her breast but that she forced his hand out and said no. He then left the room.”

Trinh was charged with murder and aggravated sexual assault, both first-degree felonies.