St. George man on parole for murder sent back to prison for weapons possession
Mar 13, 2024, 2:14 PM | Updated: 2:17 pm
FILE — A prison cell. (File photo)
(File photo)
St. GEORGE — A St. George man out on parole after serving out his murder sentence has returned to prison for unlawful possession of weapons.
Charles Gardner, 65, spent nearly 30 years in prison following his conviction for killing a woman in 1990, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office in Utah.
“(Gardner) is restricted from possessing a firearm because of his murder conviction and illegally possessed a SCCY CPX 9mm handgun, ammunition, and other firearms,” the release stated. “The 9mm handgun crossed state lines and therefore affected interstate commerce.”
The release referenced court documents that said Gardner shot and killed Janice Elaine Fondren, 30, and left her naked body in the desert.
Gardner was paroled in 2020, and in the fall of that year, authorities say he and another person concealed and disposed of stolen firearms.
“During an investigation, officers found one of the stolen firearms, a 9mm handgun, in Gardner’s possession. This is the same type of gun that killed his female victim in 1990,” the release stated.
In addition, investigators found thousands of bullets and learned that Garder had other weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle.
