Woman accused of murder threatens to kill herself
Victoria Mendoza appears for a preliminary hearing in court in Ogden on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. Mendoza plead not guilty to stabbing her girlfriend over 40 times.
Victoria Mendoza appears for a preliminary hearing in court in Ogden on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. Mendoza plead guilty to stabbing her girlfriend over 40 times.
Tawnee Maria Baird, 21, was identified by police as the victim in a stabbing homicide in Ogden on Oct. 18, 2014.
Victoria Mendoza leaves court following a preliminary hearing in Ogden on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. Mendoza plead not guilty to stabbing her girlfriend over 40 times.
Victoria Mendoza appears for a preliminary hearing in court in Ogden on Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. Mendoza plead not guilty to stabbing her girlfriend over 40 times.
OGDEN — As Victoria Mendoza walked out of the courtroom, she looked at those in the gallery and threatened to kill herself.
“I’m going to kill myself. Then you don’t have to worry about me,” Mendoza said as the bailiffs escorted her back to the holding cell.
Mendoza, 22, is charged with murder in 2nd District Court in Ogden. She is accused of stabbing her partner, Tawnee Baird, 46 times in October of 2014.
Prior to her leaving the courtroom on Friday, a 3 1/2 hour preliminary hearing was held, at which graphic testimony was given about the death of Baird.
Judge Joseph Bean ruled there was sufficient evidence to bind the case over for trial and set March 26 for a hearing when trial dates will be scheduled.
Defense attorney Michael Studebaker argued in his closing statements that Bean should dismiss the charges because the actual murder may have happened in Davis County, not in Weber County.
Deputy Weber County Attorney Ben Willoughby said state law allows any jurisdiction to file charges if the crime is believed to happen in more than one county. Evidence shows the two women had driven through Weber County at one point, as well as Davis County. Baird’s body was found in a church parking lot in Ogden.
Baird’ family sobbed as they listened to a cell phone call Mendoza made to friends admitting she killed the woman she had been partners with for five years.
At one point in the hearing, during the testimony of the state medical examiner, tension was high enough between Mendoza and Baird’s family that some of Baird’s family members left the courtroom.
Mendoza yelled, “We need to stop. I need to go into the holding cell. They’re threatening to kill me.”
Bean admonished those in the court saying anyone making statements or gestures will be removed from the courtroom.
Mendoza admitted to killing Baird, 21, who died on Oct. 18. Mendoza told police she and Baird were fighting while driving on Interstate 15 when she “lost it,” pulled out a knife and began stabbing her girlfriend, according to a probable cause statement.
The courtroom was packed with supporters of both women.
Graphic details of what happened that night were given in testimony from friends, police officers and the state medical examiner.
“I was in so much shock,” said Aaron Murphy, a friend of the two women, who recorded phone calls Mendoza made to him shortly after midnight on Oct. 18, 2014. He had visited with both women a few days prior to the murder.
Murphy said he normally does not answer his phone after midnight, but Mendoza called several times and he decided to answer it.
Murphy put the phone on speaker and recorded the conversation when he realized she was upset. Mendoza was talking to Murphy and his roommate.
The conversation between Murphy, his roommate and Mendoza was played in court. It was graphic and expletives were used.
Mendoza told Murphy, “I went crazy. I didn’t mean to do it.”
When asked where the person is, Mendoza is heard crying.
As the conversation continues, Murphy asked Mendoza, “Where’s Tawnee?”
“She’s dead,” Mendoza said sobbing.
Then Mendoza is heard saying, “She’s breathing. Wait. Tawnee, Tawnee.”
“Take her to the f… hospital,” one of the men shouted at her.
Then Mendoza says, “She’s dead,” Mendoza says.
There is more conversation between the three then, “You stabbed her uh,” the roommate says.
Mendoza kept apologizing and refused to tell the men where she was at.
“This is no f… game, V,” the roommate said.
Mendoza’s sister, Cindy Spencer, also took the witness stand. She testified that Mendoza called her and said she had hurt Baird.
Spencer and her husband drove to the church parking lot where Mendoza said she was. When they got there, Spencer asked where Baird was.
“She said she’s over there and pointed to the car,” Spencer said.
Spencer said with her voice breaking, Mendoza walked over to the car, “Leaned in and turned on the lights.”
“She was freaked out,” Spencer said about her sister.
Defense attorney Michael Studebaker asked who had the upper hand in the relationship between the two women.
Spencer said, “Tawnee.”
When asked why, Spencer said it was because Baird had a car, a phone and received money from her family.
Spencer testified Mendoza and Baird used several illegal drugs.
Spencer is the one who called police.
Two officers testified at the hearing.
The first officer, Ogden Police Officer Brian Peterson, said he arrived at the church he found Mendoza laying on the ground, covered in blood from her head to her toes.
He asked her if she was hurt and Mendoza told him she had a split lip.
Mendoza at first refused to get up off the ground because “she was afraid we would shoot her,” Peterson said.
Peterson said he had to reassure her several times that they were not going to shoot her.
Ogden Police Detective Travis Gerfen testified Mendoza told him in her statement after she was read her Miranda rights, she was the driver of the car. She also told him that she didn’t know how many times she had stabbed Baird with her 4-inch folding knife that was found on the back seat of the car.
Gerfen testified he counted 23 wounds on Baird’s body when he did his initial examination of her body. He also found her shoe under the steering wheel.
He testified that when he told Mendoza that her story about driving was not consistent with the evidence, “she looked surprised.”
When he asked Mendoza where they were when she stabbed Baird, Mendoza told officers she was on Interstate 15 near Farmington or Centerville.
Defense attorney Michael Studebaker wanted to know what crime actually happened in Weber County.
Gerfen said the body was found in Weber County.
State Medical Examiner Dr. Todd Grey testified there were 44 stab wounds on Baird’s body.
He testified the majority of the wounds were on the right side of Baird’s body, on her neck, head, torso and her arm.
Baird had two wounds on her head that went through her skull into her brain stem, Grey said.
Grey said, “It took significant force” for someone to push a knife through the skull.
Grey also testified that Baird died from shock due to blood loss, not from any of the wounds.
He said in his opinion “This was a fairly rageful attack.”
Crime Scene Investigator Shanae Gerard testified also. She said blood covered the inside the car, including the doors, windows, windshield and dashboard.
Gerard said that a “swipe blood stain” shows that Baird had been moved from the driver’s side to the passenger side of the car. Baird’s body was on the passenger side when police and crime scene investigators arrived.
Contact reporter Loretta Park at 801-625-4252 or lpark@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @LorettaParkSE. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SELorettaPark.