Dying young — Utah homicides in 2000

They died young, one before he'd even been alive a week.

Almost one-fourth of the homicide victims in Utah in the year 2000 were younger than age 10.

The number of homicides in the state dropped in 2000 by three to 40. But a disturbingly high number of women and children died as a result of what police say was domestic violence or child abuse.

Nine children younger than 10 were killed in Utah in 2000. Seven of those victims were 1 year old or younger.

The youngest homicide victim in 2000 was just 4 days old. The body of a baby boy named Oliver was found in a pumphouse at a miniature-golf course in St. George.

The infant's mother, Rebekah Woods, was arrested in Chicago. She has pleaded not guilty to first-degree felony murder and abuse of a human body, a third-degree felony, and is now awaiting trial.

In at least two other cases being handled by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department, two infants who were the victims of shaking have been declared brain-dead. Detectives say they will file homicide charges when the babies die.

Homicide charges may also be filed against a West Valley man whose 3-month-old daughter died Dec. 14. The father already has been charged with two counts of child abuse.

The father held his daughter tightly against his chest on several occasions to get her to stop crying, according to court documents. An autopsy revealed the girl had 10 rib fractures from a previous incident, along with fractures on both legs.

Perhaps the year's most heart-wrenching deaths were those of 3-year-old Dokota Ironhawk Black and his 1-year-old sister, Nicole Gentlehawk Black. Their father, Anderson Black, is charged with slashing the two youngsters' throats Sept. 28 at a Monument Valley home located on the Navajo Indian Reservation 76 miles south of Blanding.

Black has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial March 26, 2001, in federal court on two counts of first-degree felony murder.

Jenny Atene, an aunt of the two children, said the deaths have been extremely hard on their mother.

"How somebody can hurt such a sweet little boy and girl like that is beyond me," Atene said. "If you ever knew this little boy, he would just take your heart and run with it. This little boy was his sister's keeper."

But on the night of Sept. 28 neither child could avoid the knife that ended their lives.

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Ten people were the victims of suspected domestic-violence-related killings in 2000. Seven of those victims were women allegedly killed by their husbands, boyfriends and, in one case, a son.

"Domestic violence is as dangerous and lethal as it's ever been," said Brandy Farmer, Domestic Violence Program Coordinator for the Utah Attorney General's Office.