SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, April 20, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspect has been arrested after a man alleged to have been tortured was found running through traffic nude on Interstate 15.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Patrick Michon Shipley, 37, who has no fixed address, is facing charges of:
- Aggravated kidnapping, second-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
The victim was located by Utah Highway Patrol on Thursday in the area of 300 North and I-15, running naked through traffic, the statement said.
“The victim was covered in blood, scrapes, and burn marks all over his upper body,” the statement added. “His nose and face was covered in blood and welts, he was bleeding out of his ear, and had multiple small burn marks on his back and arms. The victim was also very scared.”
The victim told officers that he was kidnapped and tortured after going to the All Star Motel at 754 W. North Temple.
“The victim told officers that he went there with some people to use drugs but that after he went to the bathroom the people in the room attacked him tearing off his clothes, assaulting him and burning him,” the statement said. “Officers responded to this address, where they were able to enter the room and found it in disarray with blood and obvious signs of a struggle.”
Officers also learned later that an employee had gone to the room on a noise complaint earlier in the day and knocked on the door. The renter of the room, the suspect, had answered the door and told the employee that he was distraught over his mother dying as a way of answering to the noise complaint, the statement said.
While the employee was at the door, the victim got up from the bed area and ran out of the room and onto North Temple, nearly getting hit by a car.
A search of the room was performed with a search warrant and officers then left the scene, the statement said.
On Sunday, officers located Shipley and detained him.
“The A/P (accused person) was transported to the Public Safety Building where he admitted knowing the victim whom he referred to as a liar and manipulator,” the statement said. “The A/P refused to answer any further questions without an attorney.”
Shipley was transported to Salt Lake County Jail with his bail set at $250,000.
The statement added: “The victim in the case was extremely reluctant to provide information to officers even though he had clearly been held against his will, tortured, and assaulted.”
