HERRIMAN, Utah, Jan. 11, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has charged Herriman resident Jacob Johnson with the murder of his girlfriend, who was found bruised and cut, with an extension cord around her neck, in his Jeep on Dec. 31.
Jacob Johnson, 40, has been charged with the first-degree aggravated murder of “S.M.,” whom friends have identified as Summer Tatiana Roney (whose last name was McKell, but who reportedly prefered to go by the family name Roney).
Bluffdale Police responded after Johnson was found unconscious in a Jeep parked across several spaces at a 7 Eleven at 15871 S. Redwood Road. An officer noticed the body of a battered woman in a box in the trunk compartment of the Jeep, which can be covered or uncovered in Jeeps.
“When officers opened the trunk, they saw that there was an extension cord around S.M.’s neck, she was unresponsive and cold to the touch, with multiple bruises and lacerations to her head, arms, and legs. As police investigated, they discovered a hammer with blood on it in the defendant’s vehicle, a hatchet, a knife, a gas can, and a bottle of bleach,” says a news release issued by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
“Detectives determined the crime had happened in Herriman. They executed a search warrant on the defendant’s home, where they found blood throughout the house and apparent signs that someone had attempted to clean up a crime scene. They also found a bat on the kitchen floor with smudge marks that made it appear as if it had recently been washed.
“Multiple acquaintances of S.M. told police that she had previously told them about verbal and physical abuse by the defendant.”
Johnson is charged with:
- First-degree felony aggravated murder, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of second-degree felony obstruction of justice
- Desecration of a human body, a third-degree felony.
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the victim in this alleged murder,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in the released statement.
“If you are experiencing domestic violence or are aware of someone who may be experiencing it, please report it, so it can be investigated. If it is not reported it cannot be investigated and if it is not investigated, it cannot be prosecuted. Early intervention can help prevent an escalation of violence,” said Gill, noting that all persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
To reach the National Domestic Abuse hotline to ask for help, call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.
