Man sentenced to prison for 1993 killing doesn't remember it, but says he is 'obviously guilty'

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• James Wallace Petersen III was sentenced to five years to life on Monday for a 1993 murder.
• Petersen, 63, claims no memory of killing but realizes his guilt after looking at the evidence. He was charged in March.
• DNA linked Petersen to the crime; prosecutors said he will likely spend 20 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Cedar City man could spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced on Monday to five years to life behind bars for killing a 35-year-old woman during the 1993 NBA All-Star weekend.

James Wallace Petersen III, 63, said he still doesn't recall the killing but understands he is guilty.

"For 33 years, I did not know this incident happened. … I do not recall any of this. I still don't, but when I've seen the evidence against me, I'm obviously guilty, and I'm taking responsibility," he said.

He noted he wishes he could do something for the family of Theresa Morlock, who would have been 69 by now and may have had kids and grandkids, like him.

A statement on Monday from the Salt Lake County District Attorney said a maintenance man discovered Morlock's body when entering her apartment on Feb. 24, 1993, two days after she was killed.

Prosecutors said it appeared that there had been a struggle, and she had blood on her mouth and a pillowcase. Morlock was a sex worker, and a friend said they had given her a ride on Feb. 22 to 600 West North Temple "to find a trick for money." Later that night, he said he went to her apartment, and she introduced him to a man from Arizona who was in town for the game.

An autopsy showed Morlock died from asphyxiation due to strangulation and smothering, and had "severe bite marks" on her chest and right thumb. A DNA profile from one of the bites and a hair was analyzed and helped investigators identify Petersen.

He was charged on March 6 and pleaded guilty on July 27.

Third District Judge Kristine Johnson said although the case took decades to be filed after the killing, once it was filed, both sides worked together to resolve it quickly without a trial. The sentence of five years to life in prison was the sentence for murder outlined in Utah's law in 1993; now, it is 15 years to life in prison.

Deputy Salt Lake County attorney Brett Keeler said that Petersen agreed to recommend a prison sentence as part of the plea, although "shockingly" in 1993 a sentence for murder could be probation. He said the report for Petersen prepared by Adult Probation and Parole recommends about 20 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole, and said that would be a fair sentence even though it would likely be a life sentence in this instance.

He called the crime heinous, and noted that her friends and family waited decades to receive closure.

"Teresa was a truly free spirit loving both life and her family to the fullest," he said.

Keeler said Morlock's next of kin is a niece who did not want to speak at the hearing, but said she trusted the court to make a fair decision.

In a statement after the sentence, Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gil thanked those involved in ensuring Morlock's family and the community received a resolution in the case.

"We hope this conviction provides the victim's family with a measure of justice and accountability for (Morlock). We mourn the loss of their loved one with them, and appreciate their patience over the last 30 years as investigators worked the case until it reached its just conclusion," Gill said.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Emily Ashcraft

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Emily Ashcraft is a reporter for KSL. She covers issues in state courts, health and religion. In her spare time, Emily enjoys crafting, cycling and raising chickens.