Murder suspect of Millcreek mother convicted of stolen firearm charges

SALT LAKE CITY — A convicted felon and suspect of the murder of 57-year-old Millcreek mother Linda Nemelka was found guilty of stolen firearm charges on Sunday.

After a four-day trial, James Dekota Brunson, 25, of Orem, Utah was found guilty of possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and possession of stolen firearms, according to Utah’s Department of Justice.

During the trial, federal prosecutors presented evidence that Brunson stole a duffle bag containing nine firearms from an Orem home before his arrest on March 12, 2020.

According to 2021 charging documents, authorities found Brunson driving a stolen Sequoia Toyota that night, leading to a foot pursuit where he tossed a stolen 9 mm Ruger pistol on the grass. Police found six stolen firearms in the SUV.

Two charged in connection to mysterious death of Millcreek woman

Police believed the firearms were stolen from the mother of the second murder suspect, 23-year-old Anika Thorpe.

The 9 mm Ruger pistol is believed to be the murder weapon, according to the 2021 charging documents.

The duffle bag contained two shotguns, three handguns, one revolver, two .22 caliber rifles, an AR-15 style rifle, and three boxes containing ammunition, according to the DOJ.

Two firearms have not been located, and officers established that Brunson attempted to sell the rest of the firearms before his arrest.

Brunson and Thorpe are the primary suspects in the murder of Nemelka, who was found shot and killed in her car on March 12, 2020. Both of their cases are still under investigation.