Utah man killed roommate, wrapped him in plastic in ‘especially heinous’ crime, police say

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — A Salt Lake man has been arrested and accused of killing his roommate in what police described as an “especially heinous, atrocious, cruel and depraved” death.

In a disturbing alleged confession, the suspect said the killing on Monday was “his first murder and it was a rush” and said it took hours for the victim to die, according to police.

Bentley Estelivin Scow, 47, was arrested for investigation of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and desecration of a human body. According to court records, Scow is currently on probation for past theft and drug convictions.

“During an interview with Scow, detectives learned Scow and the victim had been in a sexual relationship. Scow and the victim got into an argument and Scow ultimately killed the victim before trying to dispose of the body in a dumpster,” police said Wednesday.

Salt Lake police were first called on a report of a death at 1723 S. 300 East early Monday. When officers arrived, they found the body of a man lying on the sidewalk near a utility cart. The body was wrapped up in garbage bags and plastic with duct tape around the head and face and covered with a shower curtain and mattress cover, according to a police booking affidavit.

Yet police only called the incident a “suspicious death” on Monday and asked the public for any information about what may have occurred.

While investigating, homicide detectives learned that a witness on the scene saw a tall man pushing the utility cart, but the cart tipped over while transitioning between the road and sidewalk, causing items in the cart to fall onto the sidewalk,the affidavit states. The witness told police the man then took off running north toward 1700 South.

On Tuesday, a medical examiner ruled the death a homicide due to blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. The autopsy revealed the deceased had injuries to the head and several contusions on his body, including ligature bruising around the neck.

Police said the victim’s identity is not yet being released. The affidavit identifies him only with the initials R.H.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the man’s apartment where they reported locating signs of a struggle, including tipped over furniture, a missing shower curtain, an overturned mattress and red stains, according to the affidavit.

Scow, 47, had been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday for investigation of retail theft and other charges and was still in custody, police said.

During an interview with police, Scow said he had been living with the victim. Scow told police that during an argument, he punched the man in the head multiple times, strangled him with his forearm then used an electrical cord to strangle and kill him, the affidavit alleges.

“Mr. Scow said that this was his first murder and it was a rush. Mr. Scow describes in detail how long it took for R.H. to die describing it as taking hours,” the arrest report states.

Scow told police he put duct tape around the man’s mouth and face to “assist with killing him,” the affidavit says.

“Mr. Scow’s admission describes a homicide that is especially heinous, atrocious, cruel and depraved, that included serious physical abuse and serious bodily injury, that took several hours before (his) death,” police wrote in the affidavit.