Charges pending in killing and robbery spree

WEST VALLEY CITY — Police were scheduled to meet with prosecutors Tuesday to consider charges against a number of people arrested in connection with a bizarre killing, kidnapping and robbery spree late last week.

The crimes resulted in the killing o an 18-year-old man on a golf course.

Few new details were released Monday about the slaying of Jojo Brandstatt as police said they didn't want to compromise their investigation before it went to court.

Brandstatt's body was found on the ninth hole of the Westridge Golf Course, 5055 S. Westridge Blvd. (5950 West), early Friday. Investigators linked the death to two kidnappings and the robberies of three convenience stores.

Detectives believe Jeremiah H. Williamson, 28, Spencer Isaiah Cater, 18, Shardise O. Malaga, 19, and a 14-year-old juvenile kidnapped Gregory Brown and beat him, threatened him with a gun and then robbed him of cash and drugs, according to Salt Lake County Jail records.

Police say the group then forced Brown to call Brand?statt and arrange to meet him. When Brandstatt showed up, he was robbed at gunpoint of his cell phone and taken to the golf course, where he was shot and killed, jail documents say.

After the shooting, Brown was forced to commit three armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores in West Valley City and West Jordan, the documents say. In one of the robberies, Brown was not successful in getting any money.

After the third robbery, Brown left the store near 2300 South and Redwood Road and discovered his kidnappers weren't there, said West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan. Brown was able to hitch a ride home from an unknown person. That person later contacted police and provided them with key information in finding Brown, McLachlan said.

Police eventually arrested four people in connection with the slaying and said they recovered the murder weapon as well.

Williamson, Cater and Malaga were booked into jail for investigation of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and five counts of aggravated robbery. Brown was arrested for investigation of three counts of aggravated robbery. He was booked into an undisclosed jail outside of Salt Lake County for his own safety, McLachlan said.

Part of the discussion with prosecutors will be how much Brown was involved in the robberies and how much he was forced into them, McLachlan said. He said that it appeared Monday that Brown was being truthful with police.

Investigators were not commenting Monday on a possible motive for the crime spree.

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