Arrest made in 2016 Utah homicide
Aug 28, 2024, 1:17 PM
Chandler Michael Cooper, 22, was shot and killed near Saltair in February 2016. A man who police believe has been lying to them about Cooper's death has been charged with obstruction. (Unified Police Department)
(Unified Police Department)
MAGNA — A man that police believe has been lying to investigators about what he knows regarding an unsolved 8-year-old homicide near the Great Saltair has been arrested.
Jesse Mascaro, 35, of Salt Lake City, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
On Feb. 11, 2016, the body of Chandler Michael Cooper, 22, who lived in the Holladay-Millcreek area, was found by hikers near a trail by Saltair, a few hundred yards from the intersection of the North Temple Frontage Road and 11500 West.
Investigators believe someone drove Cooper to that location, where he was “basically executed,” said Unified police detective Brandon Moore. “He was shot twice, once in the face and once in the chest, and then left there.”
Two shell casings were recovered at the scene, but no gun and no arrests were made. Moore took over the investigation nearly a year ago and began reworking it.
But Moore discovered Mascaro and the suspect, who has not been publicly identified, exchanged several calls and messages between Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, 2016. The two were employed by the same company at one time, charging documents state.
On Aug. 4, Mascaro was questioned again.
“Mascaro said he didn’t remember the suspect, adding, ‘I only met him once I think.’ Detective Moore asked whether Mascaro had ever texted or called the suspect. Mascaro stated, ‘I’ve never talked to him. I don’t even — I don’t have no numbers. None of that,'” charging documents state. “Mascaro repeated that he’d never heard of the suspect. ‘I don’t know who he is at all. Like, I’ve never talked to him, none of that. So, I don’t — I don’t know the dude really. I’ve never, like, I only seen him that one time.'”
When presented with copies of his phone records from 2016, Mascaro contended, “I didn’t have a phone” and “I’m not a killer though,” according to charging documents.
After an arrest warrant was issued Wednesday morning, Unified police located Mascaro and picked him up a few hours later.
