News

Actions

Victim’s family speaks about deadly attack in Herriman

Posted at 10:11 PM, Aug 31, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-01 00:24:14-04

Two Herriman families are telling two very different accounts of what happened during a deadly attackoutside the victim’s parents’ home Saturday morning.

The victim, 24-year-old Blake Burningham, a father of two, was taken to the hospital and put on life support. He died later that day when his family made the decision to remove him from the machines. The suspect, 25-year-old Cole Pedersen, was arrested on aggravated assault.
“He grabbed his throat and choked him and Blake had been drinking and he stumbled a little and just went back and hit the floor and he just continued to hold his throat and throw several punches,” said witness Nichole Anderson.
Nichole Anderson said she watched her brother in-laws life end before her very eyes, outside his parents’ home on West Moon Shadow drive around one o’clock Saturday morning.”Blake had no chance even to fight back for his life he had no opportunity as soon as he grabbed his neck and strangled him he was gone,” said Anderson. “We want justice, we want peace for our family right now, they can’t just believe one side of the story.”

The Burningham’s say the story being released by police is inaccurate and paints Blake in a negative light. According to police, Blake hit his girlfriend, and she got her brother, Pedersen, to retaliate.

“It’s a complete lie I was there that night Blake Burningham did not hit his girlfriend,” said Anderson.

Police say Pedersen threw at least two punches to the face, Anderson says it was much more.

“I can’t even count, probably ten,” said Anderson.

Anderson said her husband Brady, who is also Blake’s brother, had to pull Cole away.

“I believe if Brady did not pull him off he would have continued to hit him several more times,” said Anderson.

The Burningham’s have stopped all contact with Blake’s girlfriend, while they await new charges to be filed against her brother, Cole Pedersen.

“We will never have our Blake back and I want him to spend his life in prison, I want him to get his time, I don’t want him to ever smile ever again, I don’t want him to ever get out of prison,” said Anderson.

Cole Pedersen was released from jail on bond Monday afternoon. However, according to police they don’t expect him to be out long. He could be charged with murder later this week.

Pedersen’s father told Fox 13, “Our family is going to respectfully let the legal process play out.”

The Burningham family has also set up a Go fund Me account to help pay for Blake’s funeral expenses. It is http://www.gofundme.com/fy5dm55.