Man who slept in car outside 7-Eleven after putting girlfriend's body 'in a cardboard box in the trunk' is convicted

Inset apical to bottom: Jacob H. Johnson (Utah Department of Corrections) and Summer Tatiana Roney (Facebook). Background: The 7-Eleven wherever constabulary accidental Johnson was arrested with Roney's assemblage successful the trunk of his car (KSTU).

A 41-year-old antheral successful Utah volition walk the remainder of his beingness down bars aft admitting to killing his girlfriend, whose severely beaten assemblage was discovered successful a cardboard container in the trunk of his car with an hold cord wrapped astir her neck.

Jacob Holt Johnson pleaded blameworthy connected Friday to 1 number of aggravated execution for the 2024 slaying of Summer Tatiana Roney, authorities announced.

Johnson volition beryllium sentenced to beingness without the anticipation of parole arsenic portion of his plea agreement, according to a news release from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said an serviceman with the Bluffdale Police Department recovered Johnson unconscious successful the driver's spot of a achromatic Jeep parked crossed respective spots successful the parking batch of a 7-Eleven state presumption astatine 12:10 a.m. connected Dec. 31, 2024. The store is astir 25 miles southbound of Salt Lake City.

An assisting serviceman past spotted what appeared to beryllium a pistillate "in a cardboard container successful the trunk of the defendant's vehicle," the territory attorney's bureau wrote.

The pistillate was aboriginal identified arsenic Roney.

"When officers opened the trunk, they saw that determination was an hold cord astir [Roney's] neck; she was unresponsive and acold to the touch, with aggregate bruises and lacerations to her head, arms and legs," the merchandise states. "As constabulary investigated, they discovered a hammer with humor connected it successful the defendant's vehicle, a hatchet, a knife, a state tin and a vessel of bleach. Detectives determined the transgression had happened successful Herriman."

Investigators executed a hunt warrant astatine Johnson's location and recovered "blood passim the house" arsenic good arsenic "apparent signs that idiosyncratic had attempted to cleanable up a transgression scene." Officers besides recovered a shot bat from the room floor. Prosecutors said the bat had "smudge marks that made it look arsenic if it had precocious been washed."

Detectives interviewed respective of Roney's friends and household members, who said she had told them Johnson verbally and physically abused her.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Johnson admitted to constabulary that helium enactment Roney's assemblage successful the car earlier that evening.

"Johnson stated his narration with the unfortunate arsenic intimate partners, presently surviving unneurotic successful Herriman," constabulary wrote successful a probable origin affidavit. "Johnson stated helium was successful a erstwhile statement with the victim, stating that it was implicit with their relationship. When asked by officers if the unfortunate had immoderate injuries, Johnson stated carnal trauma, but did not elaborate immoderate further. When asked however the unfortunate got into the vehicle, Johnson said helium enactment her into the vehicle."

During a proceeding successful January 2025, prosecutors sought a "higher than normal" enslaved for Johnson, citing his transgression past arsenic good arsenic his "defiant attitude."

Johnson is scheduled to beryllium formally sentenced connected Dec. 17.

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