A man and woman appeared for the first time Friday in 3rd District Juvenile Court at Silver Summit to face accusations they supplied liquor to a Coalville boy before his death.
Charged in connection with the death of 17-year-old Joe Hunter are Salt Lake resident Rita E. Palmer, 23, and 20-year-old Abram Kenter of Coalville.
“This has been a very difficult case for us to investigate at the Sheriff’s Office because there is a lot of emotion,” Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said before the court date.
Hunter is believed to have died of alcohol poisoning shortly after a deputy found him inside a vehicle with four other people near a trailer park in Coalville.
“You can ingest too much of almost of any substance and kill yourself,” Edmunds said.
To prevent more than one judge from hearing the case, all charges were filed in juvenile court, which is unique, Summit County Attorney David Brickey said.
Palmer faces a class A misdemeanor for allegedly supplying alcoholic beverages to a minor. She also stands accused of a class B misdemeanor for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Kenter is charged with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, giving false information to a police officer and purchase, possession or consumption of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21 years of age, court documents state.
Those convicted of a class A misdemeanor in Utah could be sentenced to serve a year in jail and pay $2,500 fine. Class B misdemeanors could carry a punishment of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“It is a terrible, terrible tragedy,” Edmunds said. “We would like to see the adults who provided this alcohol we would like to see them punished.”
Hunter died in Coalville March 17 around 12:30 a.m. after he drank too much alcohol, investigators say.
Palmer supplied alcohol to the boy after she purchased a half-gallon of liquor for the group, documents filed by prosecutors state.
Palmer, who worked with Hunter, admitted she gave the boy alcohol, authorities say.
The charges against Kenter stem from a traffic stop a Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputy made March 17.
“He smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from [Kenter],” prosecutors claim.
The officer then noticed Hunter lying in the back seat unconscious, court papers state.
Kenter allegedly provided false information to investigators about where and when the alcohol was consumed.
“During the investigation [Kenter] provided a breath test on a portable breath machine that showed positive for alcohol,” documents filed by prosecutors state.
Sentencing slated for well-known Coalville man
A 58-year-old Coalville man who sexually abused a boy will likely be sentenced on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Neighbors were rocked recently by the revelation that a popular man in their community is now a convicted sex offender.
Arvin Moore will likely be sent to prison when he is sentenced for sex crimes, including aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and dealing in harmful material to a minor, a second-degree felony.
His name, photograph and address are the most recent additions to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office convicted sex offender registry.