Our Case Results
Death Penalty Cases

Attorneys from Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat are specially qualified to represent individuals facing the death penalty and have served as counsel in the following capital cases:

State of Utah v. Lewis Heffelfinger

Mr. Heffelfinger was charged, among other things, with capital murder in Daggett County. A plea was negotiated wherein Mr. Heffelfinger pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, but the possibility of the death penalty was removed, and Mr. Heffelfinger received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

State of Utah v. Morris Mullins

Mr. Mullins was a juvenile at the time he was charged with aggravated murder in Sevier County. The case was resolved with a plea by which the possibility of the death penalty was removed.

State of Utah v. Scott Merrill

Mr. Merrill was charged with aggravated murder in Emery County. Mr. Merrill ultimately entered a no contest plea to murder and the possibility of the death penalty was removed.

State of Utah v. Wesley A. Tuttle

Mr. Tuttle was convicted by a jury of capital murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. On appeal, the conviction was reduced to second degree murder.

State of Utah v. Francis Preston Mitchell (two trials)

Mr. Mitchell was convicted of capital murder. He received a life sentence after the first trial. On appeal, his conviction was reversed. He was tried a second time and convicted of manslaughter.

State of New Mexico v. Paul Cronin

Mr. Cronin was charged with capital murder in New Mexico. The case was tried to a jury, and the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter.

State of Utah v. Jason Pearson

Mr. Pearson was charged with capital murder. The jury returned a verdict of capital murder, and the penalty phase resulted in a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

State of Utah v. David Young

Mr. Young's conviction and death sentence were reversed by the Utah Supreme Court. The case was settled by Mr. Young pleading guilty to aggravated murder; he received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

State of Utah v. John Cannistraci

Mr. Cannistraci was charged with aggravated murder. After the preliminary hearing, Mr. Cannistraci entered a guilty plea to manslaughter.

State of Utah v. Benjamin Salazar

Mr. Salazar pled guilty to capital murder. After a penalty hearing, the judge imposed a life sentence.

State of Utah v. George Albert Taylor

Mr. Taylor pled guilty to a non-capital murder.

State of Utah v. Adam Gibbons

Mr. Gibbons was charged with aggravated murder. The case was compromised and settled by Mr. Gibbons' plea to a charge of manslaughter.

State v. Billy Joe Wilson

Mr. Wilson was charged with one count of aggravated burglary, one count of aggravated robbery and one count of aggravated murder. He pled guilty to one count of murder and received five years to life in prison.

State v. Armondo Molina

Mr. Molina was charged with one count of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated robbery and one count of attempted aggravated murder. He pled guilty to murder and aggravated robbery and received consecutive sentences of five years to life.

State v. George Benvenuto

Mr. Benvenuto was charged with one count of aggravated murder and one count of attempted aggravated murder. He pled guilty to aggravated murder and received life without the possibility of parole.

State v. Daniel Troyer

Mr. Troyer was charged with one count of capital murder and one count of aggravated burglary. The charges against Mr. Troyer were dismissed on the State's motion prior to trial.