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PROVO — Almost two years to the date, Christian Francis Taele pleaded guilty to the random killing of a Spanish Fork man, Ryan Hooley.
A plea deal, which was proposed by Taele's legal counsel on July 26, was signed Friday by 4th District Judge Robert Lunnen.
The 30-year-old is accused of killing two men — one in Ogden and one in Spanish Fork — during a two-day period on July 8-9, 2022.
"Christian stated that he killed both the victim in Spanish Fork and in Ogden because he was directed to by a higher power and to 'purge' the city," according to court documents, "and has stated that he feels no remorse for the killings."
As part of the deal filed Friday, the Lake Shore, Utah County, man pleaded guilty to murder, a first-degree felony.
In the filing, Taele — a former Southern Utah University running back — admits to beating Ryan Hooley, 49, of Spanish Fork, before stabbing him to death. Hooley's body was found near a dumpster behind a business in the early morning of July 8. Investigators believe Hooley died from blunt force trauma and from being stabbed just after midnight.
Taele did not know the victim, but "intended to kill him," according to charging documents.
Taele is also charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, in the death of Tyler Belinti, 23, from Arizona, the next day in Ogden.
On July 9, 2022, a witness called police after they say they saw Taele approach Belinti and begin strangling him "with a rope or strap before kicking the victim numerous times," according to charging documents. "The victim was dragged into the apartment building and into the gym where Christian proceeded to hang him by the neck from a piece of weight equipment."
Police responded, finding Belinti in the gym area of an apartment complex at 2433 Adams Ave. in Ogden. He was "partially hanging by the neck from a piece of gym equipment," a police affidavit says.
Belinti died three days later at a hospital.
Officers found Taele still at the scene and took him into custody where he "provided a detailed explanation about his intention to take the victim's life," and admitted to the Spanish Fork killing as well, according to court documents.
The plea agreement says that "as part of a global resolution" with Weber County, the aggravated murder charge will be reduced to murder, a first-degree felony, and the sentence will run consecutive to the sentence in the American Fork case.
No plea has yet been filed in the Ogden murder case; however Taele is scheduled for a change of plea hearing on July 16.
The plea agreement also led to the dismissal of charges related to an incident two months before the killings took place, where police say Taele was arrested riding a northbound FrontRunner train without buying a ticket, resisted arrest and spit into the face of an officer.
Sentencing for the murder of Hooley is scheduled for Aug. 30. Taele was found competent to stand trial following a competency hearing in November of 2022.
On the fundraising site GoFundMe, Hooley's family posted: "Ryan was one of the funniest, loving, caring and charismatic people I have ever known. He would literally do anything for anyone. ... He was one of those people who was instantly loved by anyone he met. He loved his children and they loved him."
In Arizona, Belinti's sister Sheena Belinti said he moved to Clearfield to attend Job Corps and study machining. One of Belinti's classmates, Leanette Alvarez, said, "We lost a really good person, and this didn't need to happen."
Friends on social media remembered Belinti as a "sweet, funny, selfless person."
"We've always been close, him and I," Sheena Belinti said. "He will be missed."
