Grantsville teen appointed attorney in quadruple murder case

Colin Jeffery “CJ” Haynie was charged Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in the shooting of five family members, four of whom died, in Grantsville on Jan. 17. | Family photo

TOOELE — A brief hearing was held in court Tuesday in the case of a Grantsville teenager charged with killing his mother and three siblings.

A judge appointed Richard Van Wagoner, who had been representing Colin Jeffery “CJ” Haynie during his initial court appearances, as the 16-year-old’s full-time attorney. Van Wagoner was not on the list of three attorneys recommended from the Indigent Defense Fund to represent Haynie. But 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson agreed to appoint him, in part, because he had already established a connection with the Haynie family.

Haynie is charged as an adult in 3rd District Court with four counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted aggravated murder, and five counts of discharge of a firearm. All of the charges are first-degree felonies.

On Jan. 17, Haynie is accused of shooting and killing his mother, Consuelo Alejandra Haynie, 52, sisters Alexis Haynie, 15, and Milan Haynie, 12, and brother Matthew Haynie, 14, over a span of several hours as each returned home from school or work. He also shot his father, Colin Haynie, according to the charges, but his father survived and was able to get the gun away from his son.

Another scheduling conference in court for CJ Haynie was set for Feb. 24. His bail is set at $4 million.

If convicted of the first-degree felony charges, Haynie faces a maximum sentence of at least 25 years and up to life in prison. Utah law does not permit juvenile offenders to face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2u7ZkSt