SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 21, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A Third District Court jury has found Tyler James Vernon guilty of the 2019 murder of Steven Nyce.
The jury found Vernon guilty of first-degree felony murder, says a statement issued by the office of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
On Feb. 18 of that year, “police responded to the report of a possible murder near 1200 East and 3700 South in Millcreek,” the statement says. “When officers arrived, they found the defendant at the front door of a residence, holding an iron fireplace tool. The defendant’s hands and clothing were covered in blood.
“Inside the home, officers found Mr. Nyce in the front room with severe head trauma and no signs of breathing; he was declared deceased on the scene. A witness told police he saw the defendant in front of the residence and heard the defendant yelling, ‘his head is smashed in.’
“The defendant made statements to police such as: ‘Oh my God, I killed him,’ ‘he’s not breathing,’ and ‘he was mocking me, he was making fun of me.'”
The verdict was reached last week, the statement says. Sentencing for the defendant is set for Jan. 16, 2025.
Gill released a statement.
“I hope this conviction helps to deliver some measure of justice to the family and loved ones of Steven Nyce. This office will relentlessly pursue accountability for those that carry out heinous and brutal attacks like this one,” Gill said.
“I am proud of the work of our prosecutors, Brad Cooley and Clayton Huckaby, and our staff who dedicated years to ensure this successful guilty verdict,” the statement continues. “I thank the Unified Police Department for their thorough investigation, which helped to achieve this conviction.”
