On a summer night in Salt Lake City, Utah, a vehicle driving northbound on 2700 West became a scene of sudden violence. Inside the car on July 20, 2019, were five individuals, including 34-year-old Angela Montoya, a Caucasian female. For reasons that remain unclear, a passenger in the back seat, Jayson Rue Chase, became angry and opened fire. Montoya, seated next to Chase, was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head.
The driver of the vehicle, a woman, and a 15-year-old boy also seated in the back were wounded in the shooting.
Following the burst of violence, Chase and the teenage boy fled from the car. The wounded teenager made his way to a nearby Holiday Oil gas station, where a clerk called for help after seeing his gunshot wound to the shoulder. As police were responding to the gas station, the vehicle containing Montoya was found at the intersection of 3100 South and 2700 West. Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The female driver, who had been shot in the shoulder, later sought treatment at a hospital.
In a strange turn of events, Jayson Chase himself contacted 911, claiming that people were chasing him. Police located him at 3500 South and 3200 West and took him into custody. During questioning, Chase initially tried to blame the 15-year-old for the shooting. He also admitted to having a gun but claimed to have discarded it at a construction site; the weapon was not recovered.
Jayson Rue Chase, 38 at the time of the incident, was charged with aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, obstructing justice, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person. In December 2022, a jury found him guilty on all charges. During the trial, it was revealed that Angela Montoya was a complete stranger to her killer, having had the misfortune of being seated next to him in the car. A medical examiner testified that the fatal wound was a contact wound, indicating the gun was placed against her temple. On February 24, 2023, Jayson Chase was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for what the judge described as a "brutal, cold-blooded, execution-style murder".
