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Child home during mother’s murder
By Charles F. TrentelmanOGDEN — Police say Brittany Nichols’ young daughter was on the premises when Nichols was killed, likely for a number of hours before the homicide was discovered.
Nichols’ body was found in her North Ogden condominium shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday by her father, of Layton, who was checking on her after she didn’t answer her phone.
“She was at the home,” North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai said Wednesday of 3-year-old Trinity Nichols. “It’s all we know.”
Afuvai said he believed the child was in the condominium when her mother was killed and up until the early afternoon when the victim’s father arrived.
Nichols’ boyfriend, Johnny Maurice Bell, 21, has been charged with the murder, as well as with a third-degree felony count of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
He was arraigned Wednesday, with bail set at $500,000.
Bell has been assigned a public defender and was scheduled for a hearing Tuesday before 2nd District Judge Scott Hadley. A preliminary hearing will likely be set at that time.
Police say Bell has confessed to the killing, saying he was angered when Nichols wanted to end their relationship. They had lived together at the Sunbrook condominium complex in the 2400 North block of 400 East for about four months.
About nine hours after Nichols’ body was found, Bell was arrested on a Greyhound bus in Cove Fort, Millard County, headed for California.
An autopsy Monday found Nichols, 23, died from multiple stab wounds in her upper and lower body. It is North Ogden’s first homicide in a decade.
A Standard-Examiner obituary Wednesday described Nichols as a joyous personality who, “with her outrageously contagious laugh … could melt any frown into a shining smile.”
It said she leaves her 3-year-old daughter, Trinity Rose Nichols, “to her family, a constant reminder of Brittany’s enjoyment of life and fun-loving spirit.”
Memorial services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 N. Fairfield Road.
Standard-Examiner reporter JaNae Francis contributed to this article.
(Updated January 7, 2009, 11:42 p.m.)
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OGDEN -- Bail was set at $500,000 for Johnny Maurice Bell, 21, accused of murdering Brittany Nichols when she tried to break up with him.
He has also been charged with domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony.
During his arraignment held today in 2nd District Court, a scheduling conference was set for Tuesday before Judge Scott Hadley.
At that time a preliminary hearing will be scheduled.
Bell was arrested late Sunday, taken off a Greyhound bus on the way to California.
Nichols body was found in her North Ogden apartment.
Updated January 7, 12:17 p.m.
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Police: Bell admits killing / Suspect in North Ogden murder arrested on bus to Calif.
NORTH OGDEN — Nine hours after her body was discovered, the man who police say has confessed to the murder of Brittany Nichols was taken off a Greyhound Bus on his way to California and arrested.
North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai said Johnny Maurice Bell, 21, told the arresting detective that he had stabbed Nichols to death in a fight that began Sunday when she told him that their four month relationship was over.
An autopsy Monday morning showed that Nichols, 23, died from multiple stab wounds in her upper and lower body.
Nichols’ murder is the first in North Ogden in a decade, and Afuvai said his entire department, plus the Weber County Homicide Task Force, was intensively working the case.
The murder was discovered by Nichols’ father, who Afuvai declined to identify Monday afternoon because the family, which lives in the Layton area, is still in deep shock.
Afuvai said Nichols father had been unable to reach his daughter by telephone Sunday, so at about 1 p.m. he drove to her apartment at 2421 N. 400 E. He said she had lived in the apartment with Bell for the past four months.
The father could not get anyone to answer the door, so he let himself into the apartment, Afuvai said. When he saw blood on the floor he “ran upstairs and found his daughter in her bedroom. And she was dead.”
The father called police, who sent officers who confirmed that Nichols was dead.
“That’s when we called our officers, investigators, and also the Homicide Task Force,” he said.
While interviewing acquaintances of the deceased, he said, officers got the name of a friend of Bell’s, “and he was interviewed and gave the information about our suspect, that he was on a Greyhound Bus headed for San Bernardino.”
Afuvai said the friend was the one who drove Bell to Salt Lake City to catch the 6:30 Greyhound. Afuvai said officers don’t know yet whether that friend knew that Bell had killed Nichols when he drove him south.
Bell was going to San Bernardino because he has family in that area, Afuvai said, but also because it was one of the first buses out of town.
Officers contacted the Utah Highway Patrol and the Millard County Sheriff’s Office to intercept the bus.
The bus was found by law enforcement officers at its regular stop at Cove Fort “and that’s where the suspect was arrested, on the bus, about 10:30 p.m. last night,” Afuvai said.
Two North Ogden investigators drove to Cove Fort and brought Bell back, arriving in North Ogden at 1:30 a.m. Monday. After being interviewed by Det. Dirk Quinney, he was booked into the Weber County Jail about 3:30 a.m.
In a probable cause affidavit, Quinney said “Bell was taken into custody and questioned. Bell confessed to me that he stabbed and killed Brittany.”
Afuvai said Bell is being held without bail on a charge of first degree criminal homicide.
He will be arraigned either today or Wednesday, Afuvai said, but said that’s up to the Weber County Attorney’s office.
Afuvai said the entire affair has been both disturbing and draining for his department. Nine of his officers, plus most of the Homicide Task Force, were up all night interviewing neighbors and following up leads.
‘Our sincere sympathies and our prayers go out to the family of Brittany,” he said. “But we’re pretty upbeat with the fact that within nine hours we were able to bring some closure to their pain,” Afuvai said.
(Updated January 5, 2:42 p.m.)
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Murder in North Ogden? / First homicide in 10 years could be domestic violence case
NORTH OGDEN -- Police here are scrambling to solve what appears to be their first homicide in a decade.
The victim, a 23-year-old Caucasian woman, was discovered dead around 1 p.m. when her father called police.
"We're taking this pretty hard," said North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai, who had red eyes by the time he held a 7:30 p.m. news conference.
"It's a close community we have. It's really a shock to all of us."
Afuvai said the father called police after he used his own key to enter the victim's condo at the Sunbrook condominium complex and found blood right inside the front door.
Davis County family members had tried in vain to reach her by phone throughout the morning.
"Our deputy responded. He went into the home and found her upstairs in a bedroom and confirmed she was dead," Afuvai said.
Officers have named the woman's live-in boyfriend, Johnny Marice Bell, 21, as a person of interest.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 175-pound black man could not be located today by police.
"He lived there with her, and he's not here," Afuvai said, explaining why police are investigating the possibility of Bell being responsible.
"We hope he's still in the state. We're out looking."
Afuvai said Bell drives a white Pontiac Grand Prix that's about a 1994 model with the license plate A548NP.
The couple did not have a reported history of domestic violence.
But Sunday, a dozen police and crime scene investigation vehicles crammed into the parking area between two condo buildings on the 2400 block of 400 East.
Afuvai said the department was grateful for the help of the Weber County homicide task force.
"We don't have a lot of manpower. This is really a plus for us."
Among the officers assisting were Weber County sheriff's deputies and officers from Roy, South Ogden and the Utah Highway Patrol.
Jeff Christmas, of North Ogden, was at the complex to calm his 19-year-old daughter, Jessica Owens, who lives around the corner from where the believed homicide took place.
With her husband at work, she was scared, Christmas said.
"She called and said, 'Dad, you gotta get over here. Somebody got killed.' "
Christmas said police officers came to her door and told him that the death appeared to be a result of domestic violence and that residents didn't have to worry for their safety.
Christmas said he was told that the death appeared to have occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. and police asked his daughter if she had heard anything during those hours.
"My daughter is pretty paranoid," he said, explaining that his advice to her was to stay indoors and not to go out after dark.
(Updated January 4, 2009, 11:31 p.m.)
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NORTH OGDEN -- Police were scrambling to solve what appears to be their first homicide in a decade.
The victim, a 23-year-old Caucasian woman, was discovered dead around 1 p.m. when her father called police.
"We're taking this pretty hard," said North Ogden Police Chief Polo Afuvai, who had red eyes by the time he held a 7:30 p.m. news conference. "It's a close community we have. It's really a shock to all of us."
Afuvai said the father called police after he entered the victim's condo at the Sunbrook condominium complex and found blood.
Family members had tried in vain to reach her throughout the morning. She was not answering answer her phone.
"Our deputy responded. He went into the home and found her upstairs in a bedroom and confirmed she was dead," said the police chief.
Officers have named the woman's live-in boyfriend as a person of interest in the case.
The boyfriend, Johnny Marice Bell, 21, a 6 foot 4 inch, 175 pound black man could not be located today by police.
"He lived there with her and he's not here," Afuvai said, explaining why police are investigating the possibility of Bell being responsible.
Add Your Comment
im sorry for my brothers actions what he did was wrong we all know that my prayers go out to the family of brittany nichols she is in a better place now i love u johnny i wish i could of stopped u from doing this give your life completely to god bro i know you can change.
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