American Fork businessman sentenced to prison in murder of ex-employee

PROVO — A man convicted of murdering his former employee and dumping his body in the Nevada desert has been ordered to prison.

Ramon Somoza, 31, was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for murder, a first-degree felony.

He was also sentenced to one to 15 years in prison for obstructing justice, a second-degree felony, and zero to five years for abuse or desecration of a dead human body, a third-degree felony, in connection with the Dec. 28, 2009, murder of Jesus Landin, 46. Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis ordered Somoza to serve the murder sentence consecutive to the other two, but the desecration and obstruction sentences will run concurrent to each other.

Davis ordered Somoza to pay a fine in the amount of $46,532 and restitution in the amount of $5,662.

Somoza, a young entrepreneur who managed the landmark American Fork dance venue, Apollo Dance Hall, was charged after Landin's body was discovered Jan. 7 near West Wendover, Nev., by local ranchers. It was wrapped in plastic garbage bags and duct tape. A white shower curtain had been placed over it to try and camouflage it in the snow.

Somoza shot Landin several times after Landin came to the Apollo to demand $400 he thought Somoza owed him. Somoza insisted that he was afraid of Landin and shot the man only after he came at him with a screwdriver.

Somoza was convicted by a jury following a 3 ½-week trial.

— Emiley Morgan

Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam