News

Actions

Suspect in SLC murder claims victim made sexual advances toward him

Posted at 11:02 PM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-10 14:48:21-04

SALT LAKE CITY — A man arrested in connection with a murder in Salt Lake City Tuesday evening told police the victim had made sexual advances toward him.

Salt Lake City police responded to the Trolley Place apartment building, at 520 S 500, after they received a report of an assault around 6:45 p.m.

Police said Andrew Burke Berry IV, 22, told them he was visiting 39-year-old Timothy Houlihan at his apartment when Houlihan made sexual advances toward him.

Mug shot: Andrew Burke Berry IV

Mug shot: Andrew Burke Berry IV

Berry said that he declined to participate in anything sexual, which made Houlihan angry. According to a probable cause statement, Berry claimed Houlihan tried to hit him with a baseball bat, but Berry took it away.

Police said Berry then used the baseball bat to strike Houlihan in the head five times, killing him.

According to a watch log report, it was Berry who called police to report the assault.

Berry has been booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. He faces a first-degree felony charge of murder.