ST. GEORGE — A couple accused of brutally attacking a man with a hammer in the desert and robbing him last Saturday reportedly told police the reason for the attack was to teach the man a lesson.
Sasha Michelle Davis, 20, and Kade Robert Shearer, 21, are accused of luring a 40-year-old man to a remote area of Washington County along Turkey Farm Road, attacking him with a hammer and a stun gun, tying him up and stealing his wallet, phone and a car. Police found them a day later hiding in a home in Cedar City.
Read more: Police: Suspects premeditate gruesome attack on St. George man before fleeing to Cedar City
More details on the attack and motive
A possible motive for the attack was contained within the probable cause statement filed by Washington County Sheriff’s deputy Wesley Licalzi in support of the warrantless arrest. Police said detectives determined the attack was premeditated after interviewing the suspects and the alleged victim.
Shearer told police he attacked the alleged victim because of sexual misconduct between that man and Davis.
“Kade (Shearer) stated it was his fault,” the deputy wrote in his sworn statement, “but he assaulted the victim because of what he had allegedly done to Sasha (Davis) as well as threatening his family.”
The alleged victim told police he and Davis were seeing each other while Davis was dating Shearer but he, the alleged victim, and she had a “falling out” a week-and-a-half before the attack.
Davis also told police their intentions.
“During the course of the interview, Sasha admitted that Kade had planned to teach the victim a lesson for what he did to her.”
Before the attack, the alleged victim was kissing Davis in his car where they met along Turkey Farm Road near the Black Gulch Trailhead, according to police. When Shearer then emerged from the trunk of his car, where he had been hiding, he heard Davis screaming.
“Kade started pulled (sic) the victim off of Sasha and they began to fight,” the deputy wrote in his statement.
The alleged victim told police Shearer retrieved a mini-sledge hammer from the car and began to beat him until he, Shearer, got too tired to continue.
Shearer told police he blacked out a couple of times from a heart condition during the attack. Davis took a rope and tied the man’s feet to prevent him from getting away. Davis and Shearer also allegedly used a stun gun to subdue the man.
According to the probable cause statement, a witness at the scene also helped end the attack when the alleged victim was turning blue and not breathing.
“Kade stated he didn’t intend to hurt the victim so badly,” the deputy wrote.
Map shows general location of the incident location. Report continues below.
Shearer and Davis made their getaway in a Honda Accord that belonged to the witness, according to the deputy’s statement. The witness then drove the man to the hospital in Shearer’s car.
Shearer and Davis dumped the Accord near Newcastle in a remote area of Washington County near Enterprise. They told police they walked about 30 miles to the home in Cedar City where they were later arrested.
Police said Shearer and Davis used money from the man’s stolen wallet to buy shoes and a radar detector at Walmart in Cedar City.
When police found them Sunday, they were apprehended by a police dog and were taken to the hospital for dog bites before being committed to the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Washington County.
Aftermath
Police said when they arrived at the hospital to speak with the alleged victim, he had extensive bleeding at the back of his head; nerve and muscle damage in one of his eyes that may require surgery to correct; and throat damage that affected his voice and caused him pain when he breathed or swallowed. There was also some nerve damage in his right hand.
As for Davis and Shearer’s claims that the alleged victim had previously sexually assaulted Davis, Washington County Deputy Attorney Ryan Shaum said he is not aware of any active investigations into those allegations.
“I’m not sure what kind of complaints or what any other agency may be doing about this man, but I’m unaware of anything coming to our office about these claims,” Shaum said. “It’s not in our hands yet.”
Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Crouse also said he’s not aware of any charges that have been filed against the man who Shearer and Davis allegedly attacked.
Charges and warrants
After the two were arrested and booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility Saturday, the Washington County Attorney’s Office Monday filed felony charges against Shearer and Davis for aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and misdemeanor charges for tampering with evidence and threat of violence. The court is requiring $50,000 cash-only bail from each of them as a condition to their release pending trial on these charges. Both remain in jail as this report publishes.
Utah court records indicate Shearer has a history of violent acts.
In 2015 and 2016, he was charged and pleaded guilty to a number of domestic violence charges including assault on a pregnant person and related charges. According to the court docket, the court found in 2017 that he did not meet the criteria for mental health court. He has also been the respondent in a number of protective order application on claims of domestic violence.
In January this year he was charged with felony theft by receiving stolen property, various firearms charges and misdemeanor drug-related charges. At the time of his arrest Saturday, there was a state warrant out on him as he had missed required court appearances. The judge has since reset bail in that case at $15,000 cash-only and the matter resumes with first roll call appearance scheduled for April 23.
Shearer also faces federal firearms charges brought against him in March alleging two offenses in January for unlawful possession of firearms – he is restricted from possessing firearms due to prior domestic violence convictions.
Davis may be facing additional charges to those filed by the County Attorney Wednesday. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s published bookings, Davis was booked Wednesday on two misdemeanor counts of drug possession, with total bail of $3,900 scheduled for those charges. No court filings appear on those charges yet as this news report publishes.
Shearer’s attorney Larry Meyers and Davis’ attorney Michael Lastowski did not immediately respond to St. George News’ calls for comment on the case.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Email: sricks@stgnews.com
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