5 facing aggravated murder charges after death of Duchesne County woman

From left, Samantha Tuinman, Thomas Neil Tuinman, Stephanie Tuinman, Michael Wallace Tuinman and Byron Rashad Thompson have been charged with attempted murder in Duchesne County. Photos: Duchesne County Sheriff
DUCHESNE COUNTY, Utah, April 26, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Five defendants in Duchesne County are facing aggravated murder charges after a woman they are accused of assaulting died Sunday.
The Duchesne County Attorney’s Office has filed amended charges against the five defendants in connection with an April 6 aggravated assault, according to a news release from the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office issued Thursday.
Sherry Lynn Melo, 51, hospitalized since the attack, died at a Provo hospital.
On Monday, the charges against Thomas Neil Tuinman, 35, Stephanie Tuinman, 33, Michael Wallace Tuinman, 30, Samantha Tuinman, 30, and Byron Rashad Thompson, 29, were amended from attempted aggravated murder to aggravated murder.
All five defendants are also charged with aggravated assault and aggravated burglary. The charges are all first-degree felonies.
No additional information about this case is being released at this time, because it is still the subject of an active and ongoing investigation, the news release said.
In response to the filing of the amended charges, a judge set bail for each defendant at $50,000 cash only. All five remain in the Duchesne County Jail. A scheduling conference for their cases is set for May 14 in 8th District Court.

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