OGDEN, Utah, July 12, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Ogden City police have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder, and say the suspect, 28-year-old Christian Taele, has also confessed to involvement with a death in Spanish Fork.
At 7:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to an apartment building on the 2400 block of Adams Avenue on a report of an assault in progress.
Taele was taken into custody. A probable cause statement filed in his case said his victim was found beaten and hung from a piece of gym equipment.
The 23-year-old man is in extremely critical condition and is not expected to recover.
“An eyewitness to the event spoke to police and said he was outside the apartment building near the victim when the incident occurred,” the police statement says. “The witness said the suspect approached the victim and began strangling the victim with a rope or strap before kicking the victim numerous times. The victim was dragged into the apartment building and into the gym.”
The affidavit says officers interviewed Taele, who “admitted to using a long rope or strap to strangle the victim and provided a detailed explanation about his intention to take the victim’s life.
“The attack was unprovoked and there is no indication that either the suspect or victim have ever spoken prior to the attack.”
Spanish Fork Homicide
The statement said Spanish Fork Police are investigating a homicide that occurred within the last few days.
“While being interviewed in Ogden, Christian confessed to the homicide in Spanish Fork,” Taele’s probable cause statement says. “Their detectives came up and interviewed him and he provided exact details of the homicide and crime scene that have not been released to the public.
“Christian stated that he killed both the victim in Spanish Fork and in Ogden because he was directed to by a higher power and to ‘purge’ the city. He currently presents a danger to the public and has stated that he feels no remorse for the killings.”
