Woman files desecration guilty plea

WEST JORDAN — The woman accused of dumping the body of her best friend in the Bountiful foothills last summer reached a plea bargain Thursday.

Macall Aubrey Petersen, 18, pleaded guilty in 3rd District Court to desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony, and negligent homicide, a class A misdemeanor. In exchange, two felony drug possession charges were dropped.

Petersen was at her Draper home with 18-year-old Amelia Sorich and Jasen Andrew Calacino, 20, on June 25 when Sorich died from a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin. But rather than call 911 or inform a parent, police say Petersen and Calacino dumped Sorich's body.

Kathryn Sorich, Amelia's mother, believes Petersen is getting off easy.

"I think Macall should have been charged with murder. It's so straightforward and simple," she said. "I didn't agree to the charge (of negligent homicide) in the first place. I feel David Yocom's office is a bunch of cowards."

Deputy District Attorney Bob Stott, spokesman for the district attorney's office, said this case was scrutinized carefully by a number of the office's senior attorneys. He said they filed the charges they felt they could support in court.

He also said they had had discussions with Sorich over the charges.

"We understand where she is coming from. We hope she understands where we are coming from," he said.

In a prepared statement a little over three pages long, Sorich told the court Thursday that Petersen injected her daughter with a "speedball" and then convinced co-defendant Calacino not to call 911.

"Jasen has no backbone. All he had to do is punch in three numbers and Amelia would be alive," she said.

Sorich said if the roles had been reversed, "Amelia would have walked barefoot over hot coals to obtain help for (Petersen)."

During her emotional address to the court, Sorich at times specifically addressed Petersen.

"I was looking right at her. There was no sign of emotion, no sign of remorse. She was like a little statue," she said, adding Petersen kept her head down and did not look at her.

Also in the courtroom Thursday to support Sorich was Georgia Martinez, mother of 18-year-old Zachary Tyler Martinez, who was also a victim of being dumped by his friends near the Point of the Mountain after he fatally overdosed on drugs.