Crime
He was convicted of the murder and torture of Gordon Ray Church, who they believed was homosexual. His appeal includes (graphic):
On the evening of November 21, defendant and Wood went to the 7-Eleven store in Cedar City, where they first met Church. The three men decided to "cruise" the town's main street in Church's car. While thus engaged, they met two young women whom they stopped and spoke with for a short time. The women both testified at defendant's trial, placing defendant and Wood with Church before the murder.
Later in the evening, the three men drove to a secluded area in nearby Cedar Canyon. Church informed defendant that he was a homosexual. It is unclear exactly what happened next. Either Church or defendant offered to engage in anal sex. Defendant placed a condom on his penis and began to have anal sex with Church. Defendant then changed his mind and stopped. Shortly thereafter, Wood began to attack Church. He chased Church and tackled him to the ground, breaking Church's arm in the process. Wood pulled out a knife and cut Church across the throat, producing a superficial wound in the shape of an "x."
Defendant and Wood bound Church with tire chains and a bungee cord. They placed him in the trunk of the car, drove through Cedar City, and headed north on Interstate 15 toward Salt Lake City. After driving approximately 76 miles with Church in the trunk of the car, defendant and Wood pulled off the highway in a secluded area known as "Dog Valley." After removing Church from the trunk, they attached battery cables to Church's testicles and to the car battery. They beat Church severely on the head with a tire jack and tire iron. Then they inserted the tire iron into Church's rectum, forcing it eighteen inches into his body and puncturing his liver
On the evening of November 21, defendant and Wood went to the 7-Eleven store in Cedar City, where they first met Church. The three men decided to "cruise" the town's main street in Church's car. While thus engaged, they met two young women whom they stopped and spoke with for a short time. The women both testified at defendant's trial, placing defendant and Wood with Church before the murder.
Later in the evening, the three men drove to a secluded area in nearby Cedar Canyon. Church informed defendant that he was a homosexual. It is unclear exactly what happened next. Either Church or defendant offered to engage in anal sex. Defendant placed a condom on his penis and began to have anal sex with Church. Defendant then changed his mind and stopped. Shortly thereafter, Wood began to attack Church. He chased Church and tackled him to the ground, breaking Church's arm in the process. Wood pulled out a knife and cut Church across the throat, producing a superficial wound in the shape of an "x."
Defendant and Wood bound Church with tire chains and a bungee cord. They placed him in the trunk of the car, drove through Cedar City, and headed north on Interstate 15 toward Salt Lake City. After driving approximately 76 miles with Church in the trunk of the car, defendant and Wood pulled off the highway in a secluded area known as "Dog Valley." After removing Church from the trunk, they attached battery cables to Church's testicles and to the car battery. They beat Church severely on the head with a tire jack and tire iron. Then they inserted the tire iron into Church's rectum, forcing it eighteen inches into his body and puncturing his liver
Address
Michael Anthony Archuleta#100260
Utah State Prison
UINT A
P. O. Box 250
Draper, UT 84020
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After having been mirandized back in 1988, Michael Anthony Archuleta (Archuleta) clearly expressed in an interview with officials of the Millard County sheriff's office that he should be put to death for being in the presence of Lance Conway Wood (Wood) when Wood cut the neck of, tortured, broke the neck of, raped and heinously murdered Gordon Ray Church (Gordon) when he was paralyzed. After Gordon had suffered a severly broken arm trying to escape from and had his neck cut twice by Wood, Wood bound Gordon in tire chains and stuffed him into the trunk of Gordon's grandmother's car in which Gordon had given Archuleta and Wood a ride back to their apartment. Both Archuleta and Wood drove that same car over 250 miles to Salt Lake City but made no effort to help Gordon escape or to drive Gordon to a sheriff or police station or a hospital so he could have been saved from the cold blooded way that Wood atrociously murdered Gordon when he was paralyzed. Ultimately, Archuleta was ordered to be executed while Wood was sentenced to life in prison. After 7 appeals to the Utah Supreme Court which have been litigated and adjudged over the last nearly 32 years, the Utah Supreme Court is now under advisement to rule Archuleta was mentally retarded/intellectually disabled when he witnessed Wood torturing, breaking the neck of, raping and heinously murdering Gordon as well as when he and Wood tooks turns driving Gordon's grandmother's car to escape the crime scenes.
ReplyDeleteThis was a horrific murder no doubt :(
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