Salt Lake man in party stabbing faces murder charge

An 18-year-old Salt Lake man accused of stabbing a man to death at a party Nov. 30 now faces a first-degree felony murder charge.

Police are currently searching for the man, Medel Isaac Tenangueno, in connection with the death of 25-year-old Matthew Spero Maxwell.

Salt Lake police officers were called to an apartment at 1602 W. Snow Queen Place around 12:55 a.m., and found Maxwell in the outside stairwell, according to charges filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court. Officers said Maxwell had been stabbed.

Initially, investigators considered the possibility that Maxwell had stabbed himself. But a witness told police he was at the party when he saw Tenangueno reportedly stab Maxwell in the chest with a knife, charges state.

Police said Maxwell was rushed to Intermountain Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead at 1:56 a.m. A medical examiner performed an autopsy on Maxwell's body and said he had died from a stab wound that punctured his heart.

A warrant is out for Tenangueno's arrest, police said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call 801-799-3000.

— Jens Dana