PROVO, Utah, Oct. 5, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Morgan Henderson, the girlfriend of the man accused of killing two Juab County teenagers, pleaded guilty on Friday to 10 of 30 charges of obstructing justice.
Additional charges against Henderson in the case were dropped as part of a plea deal. Henderson, 35, will serve at least three years in jail and will be on probation for an additional five years.
Her release could take longer depending on how long it takes authorities to resolve the case against former boyfriend Jerrod Baum, 41, accused in the murders of Riley Powell and Breylynne “Breezy” Otteson on Dec. 30 of last year.
Henderson initially denied any knowledge of what happened to Powell, 18, and girlfriend Otteson, 17, who were stabbed and dumped into an abandoned mine shaft in Utah County, near Eureka.
But after her March 24 arrest on drug and weapons charges, Henderson told police where the bodies were dumped, and admitted that she had been present during the murders.
Henderson, who shared a residence with Baum prior to their arrests, said the killings were an act of jealous revenge against Powell for visiting Henderson when she was home alone.
Without the plea deal, a verdict of guilt on each one of the 10 charges of obstruction of justice would be punishable by one to 15 years in prison.
The next court date scheduled in Baum’s case is a Nov. 16 status conference. The full charges against him are:
- Two counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Two counts abuse or desecration of a dead human body, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Obstructing justice, a second-degree felony
I cannot wrap my head around this. A plea deal, why? She admits to being present when her boyfriend stabbed, murdered and dumped the teens in the abandoned mine. From where I’m sitting she dodnt deserve any kind of deal.