Bear River Rancheria Homicide Suspect and Accomplice Appeared Yesterday in a Utah Courtroom
Mauricio Sanchez-Johnson
Mauricio Sanchez-Johnson, the suspect in this month’s Bear River Rancheria triple homicide, and Von Eric Keener, the man who fled with Sanchez-Johnson after the crime, both appeared yesterday virtually in the 3rd District courtroom of Tooele County, Utah presided over by Judge Dianna Gibson.
When it was 18-year-old Sanchez-Johnson’s turn to sit before Judge Gibson, the corrections officer could be heard asking another, “Can you grab the kid?” Sanchez-Johnson subsequently appeared alongside Public Defender Brad Schofield who requested time to be able to meet with his client because “I was just assigned the case yesterday.”
Judge Gibson approved the request and scheduled the next hearing for March 2, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. In response, Sanchez-Johnson simply replied, “Alright.”
Judge Gibson was confused as to who Sanchez-Johnson’s representative was due to the fact Lake County Criminal Defense Attorney Anakalia “Andrea” Kaluna Sullivan would be taking up the case.
According to Sullivan, she met with Sanchez-Johnson in the Tooele County Detention Facility yesterday and clarified Public Defender Schoefield’s role was to facilitate his extradition back to Humboldt County.
Von Eric Keener
46-year-old Von Eric Keener spoke directly to Judge Gibson who had Keener attest to his understanding that he was waiving his right to extradition. He asked Judge Gibson whether signing the documents meant authorities could come at any time to return him to Humboldt County. She told him yes and scheduled another meeting with him on March 23 to ensure he had been extradited to Humboldt County.
Sullivan said in an interview she met with Sanchez-Johnson between “60-90 minutes” and described him as “a regular teenage kid, there’s nothing unusual.” Sullivan wanted to clarify that despite rumors, Sanchez Johnson did not have a relationship with Shelly Moon, the 16-year-old who died in the February 10 triple homicide.
Andrea Sullivan has provided criminal defense to other Humboldt County residents. Currently, she also represents Demetrius Coleman who was convicted of perpetrating a fatal drive-by shooting killing 26-year-old Mark Renfro in Rio Dell on August 29, 2019. Sullivan is representing Coleman as he seeks a new murder trial after claiming he received ineffective counsel on his last one where he was found guilty.
Sanchez-Johnson is accused of the February 10 shooting and killing of three Bear River Rancheria residents, including his friend, 16-year-old Shelly Mae Autumn Moon, Shelly’s mother Margarett Lee Moon, and Margarett’s 40-year-old fiance Nikki Dion Metcalf.
Sanchez-Johnson fled Humboldt County accompanied by Keener and an unidentified woman. The group was arrested in Utah on Interstate 80 after officers deployed spike strips to halt their pursuit. Currently, Sanchez-Johnson and Keener are incarcerated in the same detention center awaiting a decision on whether they will be extradited to Humboldt County.
Earlier:
- Three Now Dead in Loleta Homicide
- 16-Year-Old Is One of Three Dead in Yesterday’s Killings in Loleta
- 18-Year-Old Suspect in Loleta Homicides Taken Into Custody in Utah; Two Others Detained
- Pieces Unfold: More on the Loleta Triple Homicide
- Suspect in Bear River Rancheria Triple Homicide Arraigned in a Utah Courtroom
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“Sanchez-Lopez?”
Thank you. Fixed.
Best move for any defense attorney is to get that person back here quick and into the Humboldt County court system. The place where everybody gets off easy! They actually prosecute violent criminals in other places
I don’t understand why the mother of the “suspect ” isn’t being charged as accessory after the fact. This is one of the saddest things that has happened here, and so many sad things happen. 😢
Each time I see a teenager who is accused of killing people, I am very unsettled and angry at the parents and community for not being aware of an imbalance, one they might have even enabled, and gotten help for the kid. Impulsive teens will think and do things that are unacceptable. When they DO those things, they have, without better tutelage, ruined their lives and often ended others. So damn sad!!
You are responding with complete lack of knowledge of this kid’s situation. How do you know he wasn’t receiving help? Please. Speculations contribute nothing to this conversation.
Fair enough, Tracy. I did not say that my concerns are true. They are my projections when I hear of this situation.
I don’t wish to castigate negativity of parents that is undue. Though I do believe that more often than not, in these situations, that somehow the community has failed a young person.
I wonder what they mean by “relationship”? It seems strange that Sanchez-Johnson wouldn’t have some sort of relationship with Shelly Moon, frienship, romantic, familial, work, school, tribal or otherwise. Was she a random unknown person to him? Everything said can and will be used against a person in the court of law. Attorneys should know how to use words carefully.
Yes this is poor clarification. It mentions not that they are from an extended family. MendoMama wanted to tell everyone about domestic violence referring to dating/ teen dating violence with comments on previous coverage. This is the type of speculation they are referring to and I read more rumors like this on previous articles.
Many tribes do not even like to submit pictures to local media of victims in such cases, out of respect for the families, so they have time to grieve. Everyone please consider the hurt your comments can incur on the victims’ families. Please wait for more information and understand that it may be limited during the timeline of this tragic events unfolds, as are many cases in tribal jurisdiction.
Well said. Understood. Will take to heart and strive to consider your words of wisdom/ caution when commenting again. Hopefully others will too.
There must be a tremendous amount of pain in that tribal community now. 🙁
A LoCo article mentions they are part of an extended family. (for once the inferior publication does more for clarification)
There are many commenters on this news hub, claiming certain untruths, speculations furthering the hurt of the situation, and insinuation that this was a teen dating violence/domestic violence romantic relationship.