MANTI, Utah (AP) - A Utah prison inmate has been ordered to stand trial in the 2013 death of his cellmate.
Sixth District Judge Wallace Lee ruled Wednesday there’s sufficient evidence to try 33-year-old Steven Crutcher in the death of 62-year-old Rolando Cardona-Gueton.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/1ty5A8E ) Crutcher pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge.
Authorities initially thought Cardona-Gueton may have committed suicide when he was found dead in his Gunnison cell in April 2013. But they say an investigation led them to believe Crutcher killed him with a bed sheet torn into strips and braided together.
Crutcher already is serving a sentence of up to life in prison for an aggravated kidnapping charge in June 2009.
Cardona-Gueton had been serving time in the prison since 2011 for theft and drug distribution.
___
Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.