KEARNS, Utah, May 11, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A jury has convicted a trio of gang members in the death of two innocent motorists “caught in the middle of gang violence,” as District Attorney Sim Gill described Thursday in announcing the verdict.
On Sept. 19, 2017, the defendants in a stolen truck had just delivered a drive-by shooting on a rival gang-member’s home in Kearns when their truck ran a stop sign and crushed a car in the intersection. Lloyd Pace and Tami Woodward in the car died in the crash.
A Third District Court jury last week convicted Jose Mancia, Rosalio Alvarez and Argenis Ramirez Saedt, each on two counts of first-degree felony murder and a count of second-degree felony discharge of a firearm, according to Gill’s press release. Saedt and Mancia were also found guilty of second-degree felony theft by receiving stolen property.
“Lloyd Pace and Tami Woodward were innocent people passing by the scene of this shooting and got caught in the middle of gang violence that took their lives. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones for the loss they have endured.”
Thanks went out to the Metro Gang Unit and the Unified Police Violent Crimes Unit for their investigative skill and “the Kearns community for rallying to hold these defendants accountable.
“The Kearns community members’ willingness to testify at trial, despite fear, played an important part in this trial.”
The release also lauded the years of work of the prosecution team of Brad Cooley, Morgan Vedejs, Rori Stokes and their staff in securing the verdict.
