HERRIMAN, UTAH – September 16, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – A man involved in a domestic argument in Herriman has now been charged with manslaughter for the beating death of his sister’s boyfriend.
Cole Pedersen, 25, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, stemming from the August 29 altercation with his sister’s boyfriend, Blake Burningham, 24. Burningham later died from his injuries.
According to Unified Police, dispatchers first received word of an assault at 5973 West Moon Shadow Drive around 1 a.m.
When UPD officers arrived they found neighbors performing CPR on Burningham, who was lying at the side of the road.
Witnesses told police Burningham had been involved in an argument with his girlfriend earlier in the night. When the altercation became physical, the girlfriend called her brother for help.
Police say her brother drove to the residence and took his sister from the home. He then returned and ending up fighting Burningham in the front yard.
Paramedics say Burningham had no pulse when they arrived, although they were able to revive him. He was taken by ambulance to Riverton Hospital before being flown by helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center where he died.
Pedersen was arrested at the scene and originally booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a second degree felony charge of aggravated assault but has since been released on bail.
“He has been fairly cooperative from what I am aware of and usually in these cases, he has to come back to the jail and re-book on the new charges,” said Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell. “It would require him to post bail again if the judge sets a bail amount.”
