A dispute over a stolen cellphone landed a Utah man behind bars for the rest of his life.
A Salt Lake County jury found Kidus Yohannes, 39, guilty of aggravated murder in August for the November 2018 death of 20-year-old Candace Samples. The jury also found him guilty of stabbing another man.
On Sept. 29, a judge sentenced Yohannes to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge also sentenced him to zero to five years in prison for attempted manslaughter, a third-degree felony.
The incident happened on Nov. 7, 2018, behind a now-closed Dollar Tree in Salt Lake City, according to law enforcement.
Prosecutors say Samples stole Yohannes cellphone while he was at the Marmalade Branch Library across the street.
Samples and her friend, Jacoby Allen, then got inside the dumpster enclosure behind the Dollar Tree.
That’s where Yohannes confronted Samples about the phone and pulled out a knife “and said he would use it if he did not get his phone back,” prosecutors said.
Meanwhile, a witness, Pamela Rees, saw the encounter unfolding and told their friend, Jeffrey Plante, at a nearby 7-Eleven what was happening.
Plante rushed to intervene. He jumped into the enclosure, and Yohannes immediately stabbed him, but he survived.
Another witness, Gary Davies, was also in the enclosure during the stabbing, but was able to climb over the dumpster wall as Yohannes was coming after him.
Prosecutors say Davies “grabbed a large board,” reentered the enclosure, and saw Yohannes stabbing Samples. Yohannes then ran off after Rees opened the gates around the enclosure.
Officials then rushed Samples and Plante to a local hospital.
Samples suffered from 20 different stab wounds to her head, arms, and torso, according to law enforcement. She died from her injuries soon after arriving.
In search of Yohannes, police reviewed surveillance footage from the 7-Eleven, which showed him and Samples entering and leaving the store together before the stabbing.
Authorities later located Yohannes and took him into custody. During his police interview, he denied any involvement.
However, investigators found blood on his shoes, which they later found matched Samples’ DNA.
Prosecutors officially charged Yohannes on July 22, 2021. His trial was delayed due to DNA tests, competency evaluations, and witness availability. The trial began on Aug. 4 and ended on Aug. 7.
Before the judge handed down a ruling, the family of Samples spoke about her life, including her struggles and the significant loss they feel after her death. According to KSL, they created a video of her life to show at the hearing.
Plante also spoke at the hearing about him turning his life around after Yohannes stabbed him. He is now helping others through a job at the Other Side Academy.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill says he appreciates the judge’s sentence and will fight to make sure Yohannes is never released.
“We hope that Ms. Samples’ family feels they have received some measure of justice. We know it is not perfect justice; if it were perfect justice, Ms. Samples would still be in our community today,” Gill said.
