In a tragic turn of events on the evening of October 13, 2025, Josh Pectol, a 39-year-old Caucasian male from Sandy, Utah, was fatally shot during a robbery near Main Street Park. The incident unfolded just before 8:30 p.m. when police were dispatched to reports of a robbery in progress in the vicinity of 8720 South 60 East. Upon arrival, they discovered Pectol with a gunshot wound.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts and transportation to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigations revealed a chilling backstory to the fatal encounter. Pectol had accompanied his teenage son to the park for what was supposed to be a sale of THC cartridges. The son had reportedly arranged the meeting via Instagram but had grown wary of the buyer's messages, which he described as "sketchy." Sensing potential danger, Pectol decided to go with his son for protection. An autopsy later confirmed that Pectol died from a bullet to the heart, with a second bullet having grazed his forehead.
In the days following the shooting, the Sandy Police Department announced the arrest of three male teenagers in connection with the homicide. All three suspects were booked into the Juvenile Detention Center. Subsequently, the Salt Lake County Attorney's Office announced that one of the suspects, 16-year-old Matthew Lee Bowman of Erda, would be tried as an adult. Bowman faces a string of serious charges, including murder, aggravated robbery, obstruction of justice, and several firearm-related offenses. Authorities have stated that they do not believe there are any other outstanding suspects in the case.
