A Utah man and his girlfriend have been arrested after the body of her husband was discovered on the side of a rural road in Summit County on March 26. Francisco Santos-Morales, 31, and Reina Chavez Sandobal, 41, were charged with desecration of a dead body and obstruction of justice.
Discovery of the Body
The body was found near Brown’s Canyon Road in Utah’s Summit County, and authorities quickly identified the man. Police traced his identity to Sandobal, leading to her arrest on April 1. Two days later, Santos-Morales was also taken into custody.
The Alleged Story Behind the Death
According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Sandobal and Santos-Morales, who were in a romantic relationship, gave conflicting statements to the police. Sandobal claimed that her husband had been abusing her, and she told Santos-Morales about the abuse on March 25.
The following day, she alleged that Santos-Morales killed her husband.
However, Santos-Morales provided a different account. He told investigators that it was Sandobal who fatally struck her husband. Both suspects reportedly pointed the finger at each other after their arrests.
What Happened to the Body?
Sandobal told the police that she and Santos-Morales loaded her husband’s body into a Honda Civic and dumped it on the side of the road. Authorities later recovered evidence that Sandobal said would be found in her apartment, including the hammer used in the killing and a blood-soaked blanket.
Autopsy Results
An autopsy revealed that the man died from blunt force trauma to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Both Sandobal and Santos-Morales have been charged with desecration of a dead body and obstruction of justice. However, neither of them has been charged with the death of Sandobal’s husband at this time. Court dates for the accused have not been made publicly available.
