Man accused of killing Utah sergeant faces 9 felonies, including capital offense

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

PROVO, Utah (KSL.com) — A superior execution complaint was revenge Tuesday against nan man accused of sidesplitting Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser.

But Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray has not said whether he intends to activity nan decease punishment if Michael Aaron Jayne is convicted.

Jayne, 42, of Garrett, Indiana, was charged Tuesday successful 4th District Court pinch aggravated murder, a superior offense; 2 counts of attempted aggravated execution and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; burglary and 3 counts of theft, second-degree felonies; and failing to extremity for an officer, a third-degree felony.

If convicted connected nan aggravated execution charge, nan imaginable penalties see death, life successful situation without nan anticipation of parole, aliases 25 years to life successful prison.

Gray’s predecessor, David Leavitt, had antecedently said that while he was nan Utah County lawyer his agency would nary longer activity nan decease punishment successful immoderate case. Although Gray did not reside Tuesday whether he’ll activity nan decease punishment successful Jayne’s case, his agency has stated that, “Mr. Gray does not subscribe to his predecessor’s philosophy” and that “the decease punishment is connected nan array successful each superior case.”

Jayne is scheduled to make his first quality successful tribunal connected Wednesday.

During a little property convention connected Tuesday to denote nan charges, Gray did not return immoderate questions from reporters and said he only intends to make nationalist comments astir nan lawsuit astatine nan arraignment shape of nan tribunal proceedings “when it comes clip to record a announcement of intent to activity nan decease penalty,” and astatine nan conclusion of nan trial, saying he does not want to “jeopardize nan integrity of prosecution.”

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Gray did opportunity he has assembled his champion attorneys to grip nan Jayne case, including prosecutors progressive successful nan condemnation of Jerrod Baum and nan man convicted of sidesplitting Provo constabulary serviceman Joseph Shinners.

Just earlier 6 a.m. connected May 5, constabulary dispatchers received a study of a semitruck successful nan northbound lanes of I-15 pinch an individual riding connected nan backmost of nan trailer. Charging documents revenge Tuesday opportunity it was really Jayne who “called 911 and said that personification was riding connected nan backmost of nan trailer of nan semitruck he was driving.”

Jayne claimed “that nan Hells Angels were targeting nan driver of nan truck. The caller would not springiness his name,” a constabulary booking affidavit states.

Not agelong after, Hooser spotted nan semitruck.

“Sgt. Bill Hooser caught up pinch nan semi arsenic it exited nan northbound freeway astatine nan Santaquin Main Street exit, past instantly sewage connected nan on-ramp to proceed northbound connected I-15. Sgt. Hooser turned connected his emergency lights and initiated a postulation stop,” nan charges state.

UHP trooper Dustin Griffiths arrived astatine nan postulation extremity almost immediately.

Both officers began speaking pinch Jayne done nan driver’s broadside window.

“The driver, who was later identified arsenic Michael Aaron Jayne, was uncooperative and would not reply questions from nan officers. The officers made respective attempts to reassure Jayne of nan logic for nan extremity and that he was not successful immoderate problem pinch them. They told Jayne they were location trying to help,” according to nan affidavit.

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But astatine that point, a female came retired of nan sleeper area of nan semitruck’s cab, jumped retired of nan rider broadside doorway and ran to nan officers pinch her hands up, according to nan apprehension report. After nan female concisely talked to Hooser, nan sergeant made a motion to nan trooper indicating that Jayne needed to beryllium detained.

“Trooper Griffiths reached for nan doorway grip while giving (Jayne) instructions to exit nan truck. (Jayne) locked nan door, put nan motortruck into gear, and fled northbound. Sgt. Hooser and trooper Griffiths turned their backs to nan motortruck and started moving towards their vehicles truthful they could prosecute nan fleeing defendant. While their backs were turned, (Jayne) made a crisp U-turn and started heading southbound backmost down nan freeway onramp,” according to charging documents.

“Jayne accelerated nan semitruck very quickly to nan constituent that achromatic fume was billowing retired of nan exhaust smokestack arsenic it continued” toward nan 2 officers and nan woman, according to nan affidavit.

“Sgt. Hooser was successful nan doorjamb of his patrol conveyance erstwhile he turned and saw (Jayne) headed towards them. Sgt. Hooser near his conveyance and started moving towards nan rear of his vehicle. (Jayne) steered nan motortruck towards Sgt. Hooser and continued to accelerate. The truck’s grill and bumper struck Sgt. Hooser successful nan back, smashing him into nan beforehand of trooper Griffiths’ patrol car and sidesplitting Sgt. Hooser,” nan charges state.

Investigators opportunity Jayne past attempted to deed Griffiths and nan woman, who some “jumped/ran from nan way of nan oncoming semitruck and were capable to narrowly flight being struck.”

Jayne continued driving for astir 100 feet, stopped successful nan enarthrosis of nan road, and past ran. Police opportunity Jayne went to a adjacent state position wherever he unsuccessfully tried to bargain 2 cars earlier uncovering an unlocked semitruck pinch nan keys inside. He drove nan semitruck southbound to adjacent Mona, Juab County, past abandoned it. Jayne stole different conveyance pinch nan keys near inside, drove southbound into Nephi and past to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, according to nan affidavit, wherever he stole different vehicle.

Troopers later that greeting located Jayne 170 miles distant adjacent Vernal.

The casket of Santaquin Police Sgt. Bill Hooser is carried by pallbearers toward nan waiting hearse extracurricular nan UCCU Center astatine UVU successful Orem connected Monday, May 13, 2024.

During ceremonial services connected Monday for Hooser, Gov. Spencer Cox acknowledged nan heroics of Griffiths arsenic good arsenic UHP trooper Brock Lewis and Roosevelt constabulary serviceman Corey Reed, who were having meal successful nan Uintah Basin that time erstwhile nan “code blue” — signifying that an serviceman had been critically injured aliases killed — went retired on pinch accusation astir Jayne.

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“They knew location was a fallen officer. They knew location was a fugitive connected nan loose. They knew wherever vehicles had been stolen and each of them were successful cardinal Utah, hundreds of miles from wherever they were having breakfast. None of america thought that this fugitive was going that direction,” Cox said. “Trooper Lewis felt something. Something called to him. He said, ‘I knew I had to get retired there.’ So they vanished up faster than they were planning, raced retired and sewage successful their car, not knowing why. Thirty seconds later, nan fugitive passed him connected nan highway.

“Officer Reed came successful behind, and they began a pursuit. At times, serviceman Reed was connected his own, pursuing this evil quality being who had taken nan life of 1 of their brethren. Eventually they were capable to drawback up .. and that’s erstwhile Cpl. Scott Major from nan Highway Patrol stepped in. Over 100 mph, this bad quality being was trying to origin much decease connected that road, trying purposely to deed oncoming cars. Citizens racing to get retired of nan way. Traveling astatine speeds of complete 100 mph, a PIT maneuver was initiated and nan pursuit came to an end,” Cox said.

Gray said Jayne had a “short stay” astatine University of Utah Hospital and was booked into nan Utah County Jail connected Saturday. Jayne’s injuries person not been disclosed.

Police noted that “Jayne has an extended criminal history pinch convulsive offenses complete nan past 20 positive years,” including convictions of assaulting and threatening police, resisting arrest, felony evading and home unit assault. He is presently connected national probation.

If Jayne is ordered to guidelines proceedings connected nan complaint of aggravated execution during his preliminary hearing, he will past participate a plea astatine his arraignment. After nan arraignment, prosecutors will person 60 days to record a announcement of intent seeking nan decease penalty.