3 more charged in murder case of body found in trunk of burning vehicle

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah — Six months after a man was charged in connection with kidnapping, killing and burning another man in South Jordan, three more people are now facing criminal charges in the murder case.

Caile Edward Noble, 65, Denis Madsen, 61, and John Ace Shield, 61, all of Taylorsville, were each charged Friday in 3rd District Court with murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated arson, first-degree felonies. In March, Dillon Edward Noble, 30, was charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies.

On Nov. 24, the body of Joseph Lee “Gino” Montoya, 50, was found in his burning Mercedes near 11700 S. Bingham Rim Road.

“The fire department extinguished the fire shortly after arrival. Once the fire was extinguished, the trunk was pried opened which revealed a partially charred body,” according to charging documents.

Two days later, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration who were conducting a separate drug trafficking investigation near 6500 S. Redwood Road contacted South Jordan police to tell them their case may have a connection to the car fire.

DEA agents had placed a tracking device on a vehicle, a Jaguar, as part of their case. The vehicle was recorded as being at a house at 6513 S. Redwood Road before going to the same location where Montoya’s body was found, a police booking affidavit states. Police say the Jaguar belonged to Madsen, who lives at the Redwood Road address along with Dillon Noble and Noble’s father, Caile Noble.

South Jordan killing tied to drug trafficking case, police say

Investigators determined that Montoya arrived at the house about 8 a.m. on Nov. 24. By about 5:35 p.m., “a group of four to five individuals walked out of the home and an altercation occurred next to Gino’s Mercedes,” the charges state.

Police say Montoya started backing his car out of the driveway, but then stopped, got out and walked back to where the others were standing.

“There then appeared to be another altercation between the driver of the Mercedes and the group. The person who had exited the Mercedes was then walked back to the Mercedes by another unknown person who was wearing dark clothing. The unknown person entered the passenger side of the Mercedes, while the victim (Gino) entered the driver’s seat,” according to charging documents.

The car pulled onto Redwood Road, but three minutes later did a U-turn and returned to the driveway. At that time, several people appeared to be putting something in the trunk of the Mercedes, the charges state. About 40 minutes later, the Mercedes again left the driveway.

“GPS evidence, license plate readers, and cellphone tower data confirmed that the Jaguar and Mercedes traveled north on Redwood Road, with a brief stop at another residence … in Kearns, and then on to the area of 11716 Bingham Rim Road, where the Mercedes was found,” the charges state.

“Madsen informed the police that (Dillion) Noble directed Madsen to pour gasoline on the car from the gas container they had brought and then set fire to it. Madsen, Shields and Noble then got back into the car and left,” according to the charges. “Madsen explained to the police that they cleaned up the crime scene where Gino was beaten, after his car was burned with him inside.”

Another witness later told detectives that at the Redwood house, “Dillion hit Gino once and Gino ‘went down’ immediately and was snoring. (The witness) said Gino was on the ground bleeding but was still breathing. (The witness) said Dillion then got on top of Gino and hit him five or six more times. (The witness) said Dillion, Madsen, and (Caile) Noble put Gino in the trunk and closed it, then Dillion opened the trunk and hit Gino three or four more times.”

An autopsy determined that Montoya suffered a broken nose, skull fracture and broken trachea, but was still “alive and breathing to some extent” when his car was set on fire, the charges state.

Dillion Noble’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27.