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Chaelisa Nielsen

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Stephan Sutton

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PROVO — The two people accused in the shooting death of a West Mountain man are one step closer to trial.

The preliminary hearing for Chaelisa Nielsen, 20, and Stephan Sutton, 26, ended Friday after three days of testimony from investigators and family members. Both were bound over for trial on charges of aggravated murder in the Nov. 23 death of Jeffery Vern Jensen, 28, in Payson. They also were bound over on charges of aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, obstructing justice and failure to respond to officer’s signal to stop, and Sutton was bound over on charges of escape and failure to stop at command of a law officer.

On Friday morning Alecia Hall, the mother of Stephan Sutton, reflected on the evening when she got the call that something had happened to Sutton and that his girlfriend, Chaelisa Nielsen, was on the run.

“I was afraid if they found Chaelisa they would shoot her and that the dogs would get her,” Hall said.

Hall said her main concern that evening was making sure Sutton and Nielsen were safe. She was concerned that since Nielsen was on the run the police might take measures like releasing search dogs or shooting at her that she wanted to find Nielsen and keep her safe.

Hall said she met Nielsen at a park in Payson and that was when Nielsen told Hall that she and Sutton had robbed and shot Jensen.

“I asked if that person was OK and she said, ‘mom he’s dead,’ ” Hall said.

Hall also told the court that Nielsen had thrown the gun used in the altercation away where it would not be found. Hall drove Nielsen back to Hall’s home and left her with her parents in the garage while she went to call the police to inform them Nielsen was with her.

The testimony of Nielsen’s stepfather added another layer to the situation. Christopher Hickman said he received a call from Sutton’s brother telling him that Sutton and Nielsen were in trouble and that Nielsen was missing.

Hickman testified that he was reunited with Nielsen when she arrived with Hall at Hall’s house. He said he and his wife then had a 15- to 20-minute conversation with Nielsen while Hall called the police.

“I asked questions and she responded to the questions,” he said. “I found out that they were going down to meet a gentleman to rob him for pills and that the gentleman they were going to rob ended up being shot.”

More light was shed on that conversation, though, as Sutton’s attorneys played an audio recording of a conversation between Hickman and Sutton’s brother. In the recording Hickman said he fabricated parts of his statement to the police and that he was attempting to make certain all parties involved were going to tell the same story.

“All three of our stories had to match,” Hickman said on the recording. “I really didn’t think your mom was going to call the cops immediately. I thought we had more time.”

Hickman confirmed that was his voice on the recording after it was played in court. Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis informed Hickman at that time he had the option to invoke his Fifth Amendment right. Hickman said he would continue to answer questions. The judge then recessed the court for lunch.

Jensen was shot late at night on Nov. 23. According to previous reports, Sutton and Nielsen had purchased drugs from him before and they set up the meeting that night under the pretext of purchasing drugs.