In the early morning hours of August 28, 2016, a sequence of events that began with a seemingly innocent request for help quickly spiraled into a fatal encounter for 30-year-old White male Jesse Ray Rakes in Salt Lake City, Utah. The incident, initially reported as a drug deal gone awry, was later detailed by investigators as a botched robbery attempt.
Rakes, along with his associates Michael Sean Polk, 34, and Matthew Gordon Eyre, 35, were near 550 W.
300 South when they encountered Daniel Christopher Simon, 25, and his girlfriend, Natanni Namtha Xoumphonphackdy. Rakes approached the couple and asked for a jump-start for his vehicle, a pretense for the crime that was about to unfold. As Simon positioned his car to assist, the situation took a dark turn. Rakes, Polk, and Eyre then revealed their true intention, announcing a robbery and brandishing a firearm. Eyre would later confess to police that Rakes had taken a liking to Simon's car and intended to steal it.
Faced with the threat, Simon retrieved a handgun from the passenger side of his vehicle, handed to him by his girlfriend. When Rakes drew his own weapon, Simon fired, striking Rakes in the hip. In the ensuing chaos, Simon attempted to flee in his car, but Polk rammed his vehicle into Simon's, causing Polk's car to flip over. Simon and Xoumphonphackdy managed to drive a short distance away before stopping to wait for the arrival of law enforcement.
First responders found Rakes on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound and transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Following the incident, a crowd of 15 to 30 people reportedly descended upon the overturned vehicle, looting items of evidentiary value, including two to three handguns and Rakes's wallet, before police could secure the scene.
The investigation led to the arrests of all individuals involved. Polk and Eyre were charged with aggravated robbery. Xoumphonphackdy was initially booked for obstruction of justice. Daniel Christopher Simon, who fired the fatal shot, was not charged with homicide as prosecutors investigated the possibility of self-defense. However, due to a prior felony conviction, Simon was prohibited from possessing a firearm and was subsequently charged with possession of a weapon by a restricted person. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of attempted possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and was given credit for time served.
