WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 1, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A West Valley City man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after he was found guilty of the July 2019 murder of Angela Montoya.
Jayson Rue Chase, now 42, was sitting in the back of a green Cadillac with 34-year-old Montoya and a 15-year-old boy when he shot them and the driver, his probable cause statement says.
Montoya, who was shot in the right side of her face, was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was discovered that there were two other gunshot victims that were occupants of the vehicle,” says Chase’s probable cause statement.
A front seat passenger told police there were five people in the car, and “she heard loud pops from the back of the vehicle that she was occupying and then she observed the two males in the back seat (Chase an another person) had fled from the vehicle,” says Chase’s affidavit, filed by an officer of the West Valley City Police.
The statement says Chase called police “and said that someone was chasing him with a gun. When questioned about Montoya, he said the 15-year-old boy was the one who shot her, police records state.”
When apprehended, Chase said “that he had a gun, but discarded it at a nearby construction site. Chase was observed to be emotional and excited at the time of contact. Officers, with the assistance of a Police Service Dog, were unable to locate a gun where Chase described.”
At trial, Chase was found guilty of:
- Aggravated murder, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of attempted aggravated murder, a first-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony
