In the winter of 2016, the community of Park City, Utah, was shaken by the tragic death of 37-year-old Jose Fernandez, a beloved male bartender. On the late evening of February 22nd, at the Snowcrest condominium complex, a dispute at a party escalated to a fatal confrontation. Fernandez was shot in the head by James Enoch Henfling, then 27, of Midvale. Following the shooting, Henfling's own fiancée ran to a nearby 7-Eleven to report the incident to the police.
When officers arrived at the condominium, they discovered Fernandez critically wounded but still alive. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he fought for his life for four days before ultimately succumbing to his injuries on February 26, 2016. The news of his passing sent ripples of grief through the Park City community, where he was a well-known and cherished figure at the No Name Saloon & Grill and the Boneyard Saloon. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Fernandez and his wife had just learned they were expecting their first child.
In the aftermath of the shooting, James Enoch Henfling was arrested and charged with murder. During the investigation, Henfling admitted to shooting Fernandez, though he initially claimed it was in self-defense. However, a jury found him guilty of murder and felony discharge of a firearm. In March 2018, Henfling was sentenced to a term of 16 years to life in prison for the murder of Jose Fernandez. His subsequent appeals were denied.
