In the early morning hours of April 16, 2018, the quiet community of Tremonton, Utah, was disturbed by a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 33-year-old Michael Keith Hogenson, a White male. The incident took place at a residence located in the area of 3625 W. 1000 North. Hogenson, who was visiting the home, was involved in an altercation with the resident, Brandon Keith Thompson, who was 30 years old at the time.
The situation escalated, resulting in Hogenson being shot multiple times. One of the gunshots severed his femoral artery, causing him to bleed to death at the scene. It was Thompson himself who contacted the Box Elder Communications Center just before 3:45 a.m. to report the shooting. When officers arrived, they found Hogenson deceased. Another individual, a woman, was reportedly asleep in the home at the time of the incident and was unharmed.
Brandon Keith Thompson was taken into custody and interviewed by police. He was subsequently booked into the Box Elder County Jail. Initially, Thompson claimed he acted in self-defense, stating that Hogenson had threatened him and was charging at him up a flight of stairs. However, the investigation uncovered evidence that contradicted his account. The gunshot wounds were not on the front of Hogenson's body, and the locations of the blood and shell casings were inconsistent with a self-defense scenario. It was also revealed that Thompson waited for a period of time before contacting the authorities.
Initially charged with aggravated murder, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and obstruction of justice, Thompson later entered into a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of murder, a first-degree felony. In June 2019, Brandon Keith Thompson was sentenced to 15 years to life in the Utah State Prison for the murder of Michael Hogenson. Subsequent appeals to withdraw his guilty plea were denied by the courts.
