PROVO, Utah — After Santaquin Sgt. Bill Hooser was laid to rest Monday, the Utah County Attorney announced charges against the man accused of killing the police officer.
Michael Aaron Jayne, 42, was formally charged with nine felony offenses, including a Capital Felony of aggravated murder.
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: Utah county Attorney announces felony charges filed
In addition to aggravated murder, Jayne was also charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder and aggravated kidnapping, all first-degree felonies, three counts of theft and one count of burglary, second-degree felonies and failure to respond to an officer's signal to stop, a third-degree felony.
Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray went into detail about whether Jayne would face the death penalty if convicted.
"Under Utah law, a person convicted of aggravated murder may face one of three possible sentences; the death penalty, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole," he explained.
After Jayne's preliminary hearing, the judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial. Should the case move forward, Jayne will then attend an arraignment hearing, where he will enter a plea for each charge.
"If Mr. Jayne pleads not guilty at the arraignment, then by statute, we will have 60 days to file a notice of intent to seek the death penalty," Gray said.
Jayne will make his first court appearance, where he'll be informed of charges against him on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
"It is both my goal and my sworn duty to see that justice is done in accordance with the Constitution," Gray said. "I will notify the public when it comes time to file a notice of intent to seek the death penalty."
Gray also said he is assembling a team of his best attorneys to take on the case and ensure justice.
"This is an unspeakable loss for [the family]," Gray said. "We mourn with you and pray that you can find some peace and some solace in this most trying of times."
Arresting documents reported Hooser and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on Jayne's semitrailer after receiving a report that someone was riding on the back of it.
An indictment detailed that Jayne was the one who initially called 911.
Hooser spoke to Jayne, saying he wasn't in trouble and they were there to help him but documents state he was uncooperative, not answering questions.
Arrest documents report a woman then got out of the semi-truck and Hooser indicated to the UHP trooper that Jayne needed to be detained.
"[The woman] told Sgt. Hooser she was afraid the defendant would hurt her," an indictment reads in part.
That's when Jayne locked the door of the truck, driving away from the scene.
New information in the indictment expands that Sgt. Hooser and the UHP Trooper ran toward their vehicles to pursue Jayne and while their backs were turned, he made a sharp U-turn, accelerating quickly in the direction of the two officials and the woman.
"Sgt. Hooser was in the doorjamb of his patrol vehicle when he turned and saw the defendant headed towards them," documents state. "Sgt. Hooser left his vehicle and started running towards the rear of his vehicle. The defendant steered the truck towards Sgt. Hooser and continued to accelerate. The truck's grill and bumper struck Sgt. Hooser in the back, smashing him into the front of Trooper Griffiths' patrol car and killing Sgt. Hooser."
UHP Trooper Griffiths and the woman were able to narrowly escape the semi-truck, even though Jayne tried steering the truck into them, documents read.
After hitting Hooser, officials reported Jayne ran to a nearby gas station and stole another semi-truck, driving to Mona before stealing a Ford F-250 and heading to Mount Pleasant.
Then, he drove to a house in Mount Pleasant and put the stolen F-250 in the garage, swapping it for a Ford F-150 and driving to Vernal.
Officers spotted Jayne and engaged in a pursuit with speeds over 100 miles per hour in Vernal. Eventually, troopers were able to perform a PIT maneuver, bringing Jayne to a stop.
Through past reports and court documents, FOX 13 News learned Jayne has an extensive criminal history spanning multiple states. More than a decade ago, Jayne was convicted of assaulting and threatening police officers in Oregon and California.
