3 Holladay men charged in stabbing death of Sandy man

HOLLADAY — Criminal charges were filed Friday against three Holladay men accused of confronting and assaulting a Sandy man in a church parking lot as he was returning to his car.

Michael Robert Workman, 25, died of multiple stab wounds during the attack.

Workman had apparently been playing Frisbee golf on Aug. 22 and phoned his father that evening to tell him he was going to hang out with friends afterward. He went to a friend's house and parked his car nearby, just west of an LDS meetinghouse at 4930 S. Westmoor Road (1730 East).

In the early morning hours of Aug. 23, prosecutors say Workman left the home with two other people and was confronted by three men in the parking lot — Talon Levi Hamann, 18, Ryan Gordon Curtz, 18, and Austin Scott Taylor, 20.

"Michael and Ryan began fighting with each other. Austin joined the fight and helped get Michael on the ground," charges filed in 3rd District Court state.

Hamann had a knife and stabbed Workman in the legs and torso, the charges state. Police say all three men then fled the scene in a car driven by Shalynn Caro, 18.

After fleeing the scene they went to a house where police say Hamann and Taylor removed their blood stained clothing. Hamann took that clothing and his knife and said he would "take care of this," according to the charging documents.

Hamann called Kelsey Boren, one of two women who were with Workman when he left the house, and "told her a story to tell police that did not place him at the homicide," the charges state. That story was allegedly the same one Hamann told police when he was arrested. Hamann called Boren a second time and warned her, "Just don't ... snitch," prosecutors wrote.

Petra Elkaz, who also left the home with Workman, told police she heard Hamann say the knife was now in Utah Lake, the charges state.

Hamann was charged Friday with murder, a first-degree felony, obstructing justice, a second-degree felony, and tampering with a witness, a third-degree felony. Curtz and Taylor were each charged with obstructing justice, a second-degree felony, and assault, a class A misdemeanor.

Caro was arrested for investigation of obstruction of justice but no charges have been filed against her, according to a search of court records.

Police initially said the three men did not know Workman, but believed that Workman had been in an argument with one of their friends and "went after him." Police have not said what the relationship is between the two women who left the home that morning with Workman and the three men charged in connection with his death.

Workman's body was not found until 7:30 a.m. that day when a neighbor discovered him and called police.

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