CEDAR CITY, Utah, April 9, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A man who pleaded guilty to the 2020 murder of a St. George woman has learned his sentence.
Joseph Edward Fought, 33, will serve 25 years to life in the aggravated murder of Steve Shay Wilkerson, who was 26.
Wilkerson had been reported missing from St. George on Aug. 9, 2020. Her body was found in a remote area of western Iron County on Aug. 23 of that year. It was later determined she died from a gunshot wound.
Previously convicted in Wilkerson’s case were:
- Brittany Elizabeth Phillips, now 29, who was sentenced on one count of murder, a first-degree felony. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
- Maida Janet Martinez-Westfall, now 37, who pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping and four counts of obstructing justice, all as second-degree felonies. She was sentenced on each count to one to 15 years in prison, to be served consecutively.
All three defendants took plea deals to avoid more severe penalties.
