Charges: Man murdered woman who had been 'showing off large amounts of money'


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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say was carrying $26,000 in cash when he was arrested was charged Friday with murdering a woman in her Salt Lake home last month.

Mustafa Aldoma, 26, is accused of killing Shellise Geter, 39, two or three days before her body was found Jan. 26 in her home in the Jordan Meadows neighborhood. He was charged in 3rd District Court with murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies.

Aldoma was arrested Jan. 26 in Fillmore after police say he was making threats at a a convenience store, trying to breaking into an ATM and was driving on a suspended license. After he was arrested, he "spontaneously stated several times that he had killed a woman," the charging documents state.

"At one point he stated he 'killed the girl who owned the truck'" that he was driving, according to the charges.

The Millard County Sheriff's Office contacted Salt Lake police, who learned that Geter was the woman who regularly drove the vehicle. Officers visited Geter's home, 557 N. Sir Anthony Circle (1780 West), and discovered her body inside.

Geter's wrists were tied together and a ligature was tied around her neck, according to court documents. She appeared to have been dead for two to three days.

"A plastic bag and clothing were piled on her face and her body was covered with a blanket," the charges state.

A search of Aldoma and the truck allegedly yielded $26,000 in cash, a substantial amount of prescription medicine and paperwork belonging to Geter and several items of her clothing and furniture, according to police.

"The cash was in several white envelopes with dollar amounts written on the front of each envelope," charging documents say.

Geter "had been showing off large amounts of money recently" and that money was also in white envelopes with amounts written on on them, according to investigators.

Witnesses saw Aldoma and Geter together at various stores on Jan. 23. The last time she used her phone was just a few minutes after midnight on Jan. 24, the charges state.

Aldoma was also allegedly seen by one of Geter's neighbors on Jan. 25 attempting to get out of the snowy driveway in Geter's truck, which the neighbor later told police was filled with a considerable load of the woman's property.

A woman who identified herself only as Geter's grandmother, but wouldn't divulge her name, said last month that Geter suffered from bipolar schizophrenia and was not using medications for her condition. Geter's criminal history in Utah was extensive, including assault and drug charges.

Charging documents don't list the cause of Geter's death or specify how police believe Aldoma killed her.

Aldoma has a limited criminal history in Utah. His only previous convictions are for trespassing infractions.

Aldoma is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail. Email: blockhart@deseretnews.com Twitter: @benlockhartnews

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