All five of the suspects in the disappearance and death of a Salt Lake City man whose body was found in Tooele County have been charged with murder.
Police discovered the body of Jason Nakonechni, 38, at an excavation site off Mormon Trail Road near the intersection with Box Elder Canyon Road on Nov. 21, according to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer.
Of the suspects, only Michael Shaine Snyder, 40, of Salt Lake City, is charged with first-degree felony aggravated murder; a conviction would make him eligible for the death penalty.
Also charged with first-degree felony murder are Corey Lee Petersen, 53, of West Valley City; Marilee Joann Borden, 43, of Salt Lake City; Allison Wells, 37, of Salt Lake City and Rodney Maxwell, 35, of West Jordan.
All five of the suspects were also charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping. Petersen and Snyder face additional charges of first-degree felony aggravated robbery, second-degree felony obstructing justice and third-degree felony possession of a firearm by a restricted person.
Maxwell is also charged with first-degree felony aggravated robbery.
Borden told police she rented a room at a motel in Salt Lake County on Sept. 4 and invited Nakonechni to the room, where Maxwell, Wells and Snyder were lying in wait, according to charging documents. Nakonechni was beaten by the assailants until he suffered blood loss and the loss of several teeth.
Wells told police that Petersen had hired Snyder and Maxwell to bring Nakonechni to him, according to the charging documents. She hid in the motel room’s bathroom with Snyder and Maxwell until Nakonechni entered the room and was attacked.
Wells claimed to have run out of the room and when she returned, everyone had left the room, the charging documents said. After being picked up and transported to Petersen’s home by Snyder, Wells said she saw Nakonechni with visible injuries and Petersen and Maxwell going through his pockets, cell phone and vehicle.
Wells said Nakonechni was punched by Maxwell and Snyder shoved a screwdriver into Nakonechni’s ear while at Petersen’s, according to the charging documents.
Wells told police she fell asleep afterward and Petersen and Snyder returned several hours later in Nakonechni’s vehicle, charges state. She said Snyder and another individual burned the vehicle; Wells said when she asked Snyder too many questions he threatened to kill her, too.
A confidential informant told police he had spoken with Snyder and learned that Nakonechni was targeted because he owed Petersen money and had “snitched” on someone, charging documents state. The confidential informant relayed a story from Snyder on what occurred that night at the motel, which aligned with Wells’s statements.
Snyder also told the confidential informant that he stabbed Nakonechni in the leg and stealing his money and property once they made it to Petersen’s house, according to charging documents. The confidential informant also said Snyder told him that he had shot Nakonechni while he was on his knees after taking the gun away from Petersen.
Snyder said Nakonechni was going to die anyway due to the injuries he suffered during the motel assault and at Petersens, the charges state.
Petersen told police he saw Maxwell strike Nakonechni with brass knuckles and Wells slap Nakonechni several times, calling him a “rat” or “snitch,” the charging documents said. Petersen confirmed that Nakonechni was killed in the excavation pit in Tooele County after Snyder shot him in the head, and possibly a second time.
When they drove away from the site, Petersen said Snyder disassembled the gun and threw it out the window, according to the charging documents.
An autopsy on Nakonechni’s body found he suffered a fractured upper jaw, fractured sternum and several fracture ribs, which were likely suffered before he died, the charging documents state. The cause of death was determined to be the gunshot wound to the head.