SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 21, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — Today, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced a Third District Court jury found Ahmed Sharif-Mohamed Ali guilty for the murder of Modibo Diallo.
“On Feb. 22, 2015, the defendant and Mr. Diallo got into an argument near 3300 South and 1500 East in Millcreek,” a news release from the SLCo DA’s Office says. “During the argument, the defendant pulled out a gun and shot an unarmed Mr. Diallo who fell to the ground. The defendant then walked up to Mr. Diallo, stood over him, and fired another shot.”
Diallo, 33, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Witnesses tried to stop the defendant from leaving the scene, but he was able to flee,” the release says. “Officers found the defendant in a nearby garage.”
On March 5, 2015, the DA’s Office charged the defendant with one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm.
“The defendant was found competent to stand trial in 2015, but through a series of motions related to the mental health of the defendant and his unwillingness to cooperate with his own counsel, judges, and mental health evaluators, the prosecution was delayed. However, the defendant eventually cooperated and was found incompetent to stand trial on April 17, 2019. He was found to have been restored to competency on Sept. 13, 2021, and eligible to stand trial.
Last Friday, Jan. 17, a Third District Court jury found the defendant guilty of one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of first-degree felony discharge of a firearm. Sentencing for the case is set for March 20, 2025.
“Justice does not always move quickly, but this office and the prosecutors that work here are dedicated to pursuing accountability for crimes committed in our community,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in the news release.
“We applaud the jury for its finding and hope the family and loved ones of Mr. Diallo can feel justice has been served. Though it may not be perfect justice, if it was Mr. Diallo would be here today, it is some measure of justice that I hope can help Mr. Diallo’s loved ones the chance to begin to heal from their tragic loss.
“We thank our prosecutors Vincent Meister and Ryan Hansen, as well as our support staff for their dedication to this case. We appreciate the work of the Unified Police Department for their investigation that helped ensure this guilty verdict.”
