Statement on Filing of Federal Carjacking, Kidnapping Charges Against Harrison in UTA Case

U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Utah
5 June 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SALT LAKE CITY -- An Information charging Dereck James Harrison with one count of carjacking and one count of kidnapping was filed late Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

Count 1 of the indictment alleges Harrison took by force, violence and intimidation, and with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, a 2013 Ford F150 pickup from a person identified as K.P.R. in the Information. The Information further alleges the May 12, 2016, carjacking resulted in the death of K.P.R.

Count 2 charges Harrison with the May 12, 2016, kidnapping of K.P.R. The indictment alleges Harrison took the victim from Utah to Wyoming and, according to the Information, the kidnapping resulted in the death of K.P.R.

The potential sentence for the charges in the Information is mandatory life in prison. An Information is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged in an Information are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The District of Utah has concurrent jurisdiction in this case with Salt Lake County, Utah, and Lincoln County, Wyoming. Although Harrison is being prosecuted in Lincoln County, federal prosecutors believe Utah’s interests in the case have yet to be vindicated.

The victim was a resident of Utah. The crimes alleged in the Information filed Friday occurred in Salt Lake County, Utah. In consultation with the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office, a decision was made to represent Salt Lake County and the District of Utah’s interests by proceeding with a federal prosecution of Harrison. The FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service have been actively involved in the investigation of this case since the alleged crimes occurred.