WEBER COUNTY, Utah, June 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Charging documents filed in the arrest of 27-year-old Andy Dennis offer new details in the death of his girlfriend, whose body was found in Ogden Canyon.
The victim was 30-year-old Lopine “Chynna” Toilolo, of West Jordan. Her body was found on May 12, and reported to the Weber County Sheriff’s Department.
“Deputies responded to reports of a deceased female located near the river in Ogden Canyon,” the probable cause statement says. “During a preliminary examination of the woman’s body, investigators saw patterns on her body that would suggest that she died face down on some type of blanket or sheet.”
Investigators noted drag marks on the victim’s back, and evidence of dragging in the dirt near where she was found.
“It appeared to investigators that the victim died at a different location from where she was discovered. The individual was identified and it was discovered that she had been reported as a missing person on the same day by her family members in West Jordan.”
Officials also discovered Toilolo was involved in a Pleasant View incident two days earlier, in which neighbors reported she “was yelling, banging on their windows, and ringing doorbells at approximately 0440 hours. These same witnesses also told officers that they had witnessed the victim go back to Andy’s residence, and then saw the victim leaving with Andy in Andy’s vehicle.”
The woman reporting the incident snapped a photo, the statement says.
Toilolo’s family told investigators they got a text at about 3 a.m. on May 10 saying she was heading home.
“Family members reported that this was their last contact with the victim.”
Dennis told investigators Toilolo had left his residence at about 5 a.m. in an Uber.
“Andy reported that the victim was intoxicated and they got into an argument before she left. This information from Andy is contradictory to the statement from the witness and the physical evidence of the witness’ photographs.”
The probable cause statement, filed by an officer of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, says Dennis initially denied leaving the residence with Toilolo, then later said they did leave together.
“Andy stated that he took the victim back to West Jordan and dropped her off at the same location she was picked up from. Andy stated that he returned home after dropping the victim off and did not leave the house again until Monday, 05/11/2020.”
Cellphone data showed that Dennis was in West Jordan on May 10, when he apparently picked up Toilolo, but did not return there afterward. Data also places Dennis in Ogden Canyon, where Toilolo’s body was found, on the morning of May 11.
A camera posted at the mouth of Ogden Canyon also recorded Dennis’ car entering the canyon at 9:42 a.m. and exiting at 10:42 a.m. on May 11.
As part of the investigation, Andy’s two children were interviewed at the Weber-Morgan Children’s Justice Center. The two were with Dennis and Toilolo at his house before she went missing, and with Dennis afterward, the statement says.
“During the first interview with the children, they provided statements that the victim left Andy’s home and got a ride with someone else. This story matched Andy’s initial story, which he later admitted was a lie.
“The children were interviewed a second time,” the probable cause statement says. “During that interview, the children disclosed that Andy told them what to say when they were questioned by law enforcement.”
The children also told the interviewer that Dennis and Toilolo and been “arguing and fighting” before they left.
“One of the children also disclosed that Andy took the victim’s cellphone from the victim before leaving with her, and put the victim’s cellphone in a box in the garage.”
Dennis had previously told investigators he did not have Toilolo’s phone.
An autopsy report found that Toilolo’s manner of death was a homicide, and the cause was strangulation. Toxicology tests found no compounds that would have contributed to her death.
Dennis is charged on suspicion of murder, a first-degree felony; and two counts of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, likely related to his coaching his children on what to say.
Dennis’ bail is set at $45,000.
I have no empathy for this murderer of my niece, Chynna Toilolo. I can’t feel any emotion because I can’t wrap my head around an act of pure evil and on top of it he has children who will always remember that that their Dad murdered Chynna.
What other murders has he committed, if any, that are unknown?