In a turn of events that began as a landlord-tenant dispute, David Stokoe, a 40-year-old White male real estate agent from South Jordan, Utah, lost his life on January 17, 2019. Stokoe had gone to a Salt Lake City apartment he owned on Princeton Avenue to speak with his tenants about rent issues or to evict them. His family reported him missing when he failed to return home.
The following day, police were dispatched to the property on a report of suspicious circumstances.
Upon entering the apartment, officers discovered evidence that suggested a "significant injury" had occurred. Later that evening, their investigation led them to a hidden door that opened into a crawlspace. Inside, they found Stokoe's body. An autopsy would later reveal he had been shot multiple times, including three times in the back and once in the groin. His 2015 Cadillac Escalade, which had been missing, was found in West Valley City, though the two individuals found with it were not connected to the homicide.
The investigation quickly centered on the tenants of the apartment. Manuel Velasquez, 31, Jessica Miller 38, and a friend, Diana Hernandez, 30, were arrested in connection with Stokoe's death. Velasquez was charged with murder, while Miller and Hernandez faced charges of obstruction of justice for their alleged roles in cleaning the crime scene and concealing the body. According to charging documents, the group attempted to clean the blood from the floor and eventually resorted to cutting out pieces of the carpet. Miller later told investigators they used a skateboard to move Stokoe's body.
Velasquez admitted to shooting Stokoe but claimed it was in self-defense. He told investigators that Stokoe had kicked in the apartment door and initiated a physical altercation, putting him in a "very serious chokehold," which prompted him to grab a handgun from his fanny pack and fire. However, police stated there was no evidence of a forced entry, and Stokoe's family described him as a non-confrontational person. The conflict with the tenants, who had recently moved in, had reportedly been escalating, with Stokoe feeling he was being taken advantage of regarding unpaid rent and unauthorized occupants.
Ultimately, Manuel Velasquez pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison. Diana Hernandez pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to a year in jail and probation, though she was released after about six months. Jessica Miller was also formally charged with obstruction of justice, identity fraud, forgery, and abuse or desecration of a human body.
