Judge hears recording in golf-course slaying

A judge deciding whether a 14-year-old boy should go to trial in the shooting death of a man at a West Valley City golf course has heard the boy's alleged admissions to police.

A recording was played in court Wednesday before 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez. In the recording, the boy says he was high on marijuana and scared when he shot JoJo Lee Brandstatt twice on Feb. 5.

The boy, who is charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, says he was coerced into doing the shooting, which was apparently gang-related.

Valdez will decide whether the boy's case should go to trial and if so, whether he should be tried as a minor or an adult.

Three adults, Jeremiah H. Williamson, 28; Spencer Isaiah Cater, 18; and Shardise O. Malaga, 19, also are charged in connection with the case and have been ordered to stand trial.

However, during a preliminary hearing for the adults, there was conflicting testimony about who was responsible for what.

Williamson's attorney said that his client was only the driver and had been forced to take the wheel. Williamson also made admissions to police "under duress," according to his lawyer.

Cater's attorney argued that there is no physical evidence linking him to the crime and the only real tie is the testimony of a witness with a criminal history of his own that renders his account of things "simply unbelievable."

As for Malaga, her lawyer has argued that she several times tried to get the 14-year-old to rethink what he was doing and urged him to "just take the kid home," which the lawyer said showed Malaga intended to keep the juvenile from killing anyone.

The preliminary hearing for the juvenile continues Aug. 20. The adults will be arraigned Aug. 3.

— Linda Thomson and Associated Press