Curtis Allgier gets permission to marry on same day DA announces she will seek his death

SALT LAKE CITY — Curtis Michael Allgier, who is in jail facing an aggravated murder charge that could put him on death row if he's convicted, plans to get married.

The heavily tattooed white supremacist has received permission to marry on April 20, which also is the birthday of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Rollin Cook granted Allgier's request in a letter filed in 3rd District Court on Monday.

That same day, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office officially notified the court it intends to seek the death penalty for Allgier, 30, if he is convicted of the 2007 shooting death of corrections officer Stephen Anderson.

Cook said he could not discuss details of the pending nuptials or reveal the name of the bride-to-be, but he confirmed that a ceremony is planned in the Salt Lake County Jail.

"Marriages don't happen that often in our facility, but someone has reached out to him and wants to marry him," Cook said.

The ceremony will be conducted in a visiting area with glass between Allgier and the woman, and it will involve a short, simple exchange of vows. There will be someone to officiate, and the witnesses will be correctional staff. The bride can wear a wedding dress if she chooses, as long as her clothing is appropriate for public wear, but she cannot carry a bouquet or have pictures taken.

There also will be no exchange of rings or a kiss, since no physical contact is allowed.

Allgier will wear a jailhouse jumpsuit and shackles. He may need to sign some paperwork, but that will be brought to him by correctional employees.

"It is just between him and that person through the glass," Cook said. "It will be very simple and kind of boring."

As for the death penalty notification, Utah prosecutors have 60 days after an individual is arraigned to declare whether they will ask for the death penalty in an aggravated murder case.

Allgier's case is nowhere near that stage, despite his having been arrested less than an hour after Anderson's death in 2007. The case has involved various procedural delays and appeals, including one to the Utah Supreme Court. It is not uncommon for a murder cases to take as long as two years or more to move through the court system. Cases that carry a potential death penalty can take longer.