Greg Kyle DeBoer pled not guilty to the single obstruction of justice charge he is facing after he buried the gun he used to shoot Patrick Hayes in September 2024.
Defense attorney Andrew Deesing said more time is necessary to prepare for any further hearings or a trial for DeBoer.
“Obviously there’s quite a bit of work that still needs to be done before we have any idea of what we’re going to do next,” Deesing said.
The single count of obstruction of justice is a second-degree felony. DeBoer is not facing a homicide charge. After he was identified as the shooter in the incident that left Hayes dead, DeBoer claimed he acted out of self defense.
Mabey ruled on Oct. 3 that the state of Utah presented enough “believable evidence” of elements of the crime charge to issue for determination of the case outcome by a jury. Her ruling came in response to Deesing’s bid to dismiss the single charge filed against DeBoer.
Deesing argued in October that DeBoer “preserved” the Kimber 1911 pistol used in the shooting. DeBoer reportedly placed the pistol in a plastic bag, wrapped it in tin foil and shut it securely in a Pelican Case before burying it under a large boulder approximately 100 yards from his home.
Law enforcement officials issued and executed a search warrant of DeBoer’s property after a 48-day investigation. Officers were only notified of the shooting due to a passerby’s call to 911 after she found Hayes dead on the ground at the Ross Creek entrance of Jordanelle State Park. That was less than a mile from Hayes’ Hideout home. Police did not then know the identity of Hayes’ shooter.
In his description of events leading up to the shooting, DeBoer said Hayes cut him off to exit from Interstate 80 onto U.S. 40. DeBoer said Hayes repeatedly “ran him off the road.”
Footage from Ross Creek cameras show DeBoer followed Hayes into the parking area before Hayes exited his vehicle with a small plastic baton and a pocket knife. DeBoer appeared to attempt to hit Hayes with his car twice before the pair engaged in a verbal exchange. Exactly 30 seconds after Hayes exited his vehicle, a single gunshot was fired.
DeBoer’s claim of self-defense avoided a homicide charge. Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby claimed there’s not enough evidence to charge DeBoer with homicide.
Meanwhile, Hayes’ fiancee, Sue Ann Kern, filed a formal complaint of the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office and Wasatch County Attorney’s Office alleging victims’ rights violations that occurred during the ongoing case. The Fourth District Victims’ Rights Committee determined they will pursue an investigation into the alleged violations in December.
Fourth District Judge Jennifer Mabey scheduled a pretrial conference for DeBoer’s case on Jan. 21, 2026.