SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors say the death penalty is a possibility for an ex-convict accused of gunning down a University of Utah student with a weapon stolen from a slain Colorado man.
But Salt Lake County prosecutor Matthew Janzen said Tuesday following suspect Austin Boutain's first court appearance that the decision about whether to seek the death penalty will come after an evidentiary hearing and arraignment in the coming months.
It is a possibility because the 24-year-old Boutain is charged with aggravated murder.
He and his wife Kathleen Boutain are accused of hatching a deadly carjacking plot that led to the death of Chenwei Guo on Oct. 30 in Salt Lake City.
Kathleen Boutain isn't charged in the killing but faces six counts including criminal solicitation and theft.
A judge told them both Tuesday they'll be assigned court-appointed attorneys.