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SANDY — A woman at a Sandy homeless shelter was charged Monday with killing her roommate by blunt force trauma, in part by attacking her with a can.
Laura Darlene Northup, 60, is charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.
On May 26, police were called to the Medically Vulnerable People Program Facility, 8955 S. 255 West. Stephanie Lynne Haskett-Carrasco, 62, was found deceased underneath her bed with an obvious head injury, according to charging documents.
A third woman, who was a roommate of both Northrup and Haskett-Carrasco, told investigators that "Northrup and Stephanie did not get along and they would bicker a lot," the charges state. On May 26, after being away from the room for a night, the third roommate said when she returned "she saw Stephanie's foot hanging out from the bottom of the bed, from behind blankets and other items that had been gathered in front of the bed. (The roommate) stated that she yelled out, 'Stephanie, why are you under the bed?' and reached down to shake Stephanie's leg and it was cold to the touch."
Surveillance video collected by police showed Northrup leaving the room just before 2 a.m. and not returning. Another resident told police that he heard people arguing and yelling at each other in that room between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., the charges state. The third roommate returned to the room about 12:20 p.m. but did not notice Haskett-Carrasco's body until about 4:30 p.m.
Investigators searching the room found a 14-ounce can of protein powder under the bed."The bottom of the … can had what appeared to be human blood and hair stuck to it. Additionally, by Stephanie's head was a white shoe covered in blood. The shoe is believed to belong to Northup. Further testing on these items is pending," according to the charges.
An autopsy from the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office found numerous cuts and bruises on Hackett-Carrasco's face and head. "Several of the contusions and cuts were crescent shaped, consistent with the metal edge of the … can," the charges say.
Northrup returned to the facility later in the day on May 26 and was arrested.
The Medically Vulnerable People Program Facility, formerly an Econolodge motel, provides housing and medical care "to seniors, veterans and the medically frail who are experiencing homelessness," according to a description on the website of Shelter the Homeless, an advocacy group for homeless people.
