Teen charged in kidnap plot released to home confinement

WEST JORDAN — A teen accused in a plot to kidnap and torture people in a way similar to the horror movie "Saw" was ordered to be released from juvenile detention Friday.

Third District Juvenile Judge Christine Decker agreed to release a 14-year-old boy to home confinement pending his trial, which is set to begin May 21. The Midvale Middle School student and a 15-year-old West High student are each charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, a second-degree felony.

The 15-year-old did not request to be released and will remain in juvenile detention pending the trial.

Before announcing her decision, the judge acknowledged that the boy has been in detention for 43 days, which she said is "a long time" for juveniles awaiting trial. But Decker only made the move after allowing the boy's attorney, Thomas Burton, to submit a "safety plan," which requires 24-hour supervision by the boy's parents or other family friends. As part of his home confinement, Decker also ordered that the teen not be allowed to leave his home unless there is a medical emergency.

"I don't want you out in the community whatsoever," Decker told the boy. She said the home confinement was to not give any alarm to any alleged victims of the plot, but also for the boy's own safety.

The judge also restricted the boy from all Internet and phone access and ordered him not to have any communications with anyone that hasn't been approved by the court. She also ordered that the boy only watch G-rated movies and only play video games with an E rating.

Family and friends of the boy who attended the hearing were pleased with the judge's decision to release him.

"I am very happy," the boy's father said as he left the courtroom. "He is absolutely innocent in this case."

The quick hearing Friday occurred in place of a motion hearing where attorneys for both sides were scheduled to argue their motions about whether or not to suppress evidence submitted by police. Murray officers had earlier believed that an interview with the 14-year-old boy, which was supposed to be recorded, was nowhere to be found.

Last month, a detective who conducted the interviews of both boys said he thought a DVD had recorded the interview but he believed it ran out of space after the interview of the first boy.

But just this week, Murray police found a copy of the interview that was recorded somewhere on the hard drive of some equipment in the department's media room, Burton said.