8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
In Memory
Tara Goins Brennan passed away on Feb. 24, 2004.
Tara spent her freshman year at Amherst in Stearns before transferring to Stanford. Tara was a talented violinist with a soft spot for both jazz and classical music. She had a knack for making friends and loved to stroll through stores, see movies, practice yoga and go out for sushi.
At Stanford, she earned honors in American literature while studying minority authors and writing a play that explored the issues of bi-racial identity in America. She was an editor for the Black Arts Quarterly and interned for the Democratic Leadership Council in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Stanford, she worked as a technical recruiter before entering the University of California-Hastings law school.
She is survived by her mother, Frances Nilson, and her father, James Goins.
Molly Lyons ’97
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Tara Brennan Obituary
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Shauna Bell
February 29, 2004
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Pierre Goins
March 1, 2004
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Stacey Oliver
March 3, 2004
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Shauna Banks
March 4, 2004
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Utah high court upholds conviction in '04 murder of Tara Brennan – Deseret News
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Utah high court upholds conviction in '04 murder of Tara Brennan
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a man who killed a Salt Lake woman for $200 in drug money more than 10 years ago.
Michael Jones was sentenced to up to life in prison in 2010 after he was found guilty of murdering Tara Brennan, a 28-year-old honors graduate from Stanford who was attending law school.
Prosecutors say DNA evidence found under Brennan's fingernails matched Jones' DNA discovered on a cigarette in her car.
Jones' lawyers argued that other DNA also was found on the cigarette that could have belonged to other people Brennan knew at the time of the 2004 killing.
But the high court ruled Friday that the evidence was reliable enough to be admitted at the trial and unanimously upheld Jones' conviction.
— Associated Press
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Addict is guilty of Utahn's murder – Deseret News
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Addict is guilty of Utahn's murder
Admitted dealer also convicted of robbery and a drug count
SALT LAKE CITY — A jury returned three guilty verdicts Thursday in the case of Michael Jones, an admitted drug dealer who killed Tara Brennan six years ago this month.
The four-man, four-woman jury deliberated just 3 1/2 hours before convicting Jones of murder and aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, along with distribution of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony.
Jones will be sentenced April 16.
Frances Nilson, the dead woman's mother, wept as the verdict was read.
Outside the courtroom, she said that justice had been served.
"My feeling is that I am just so grateful to a detective, to the prosecutors, to a crime lab, who worked so hard," Nilson said. "I've waited six years for justice, and I'm so glad that it's over."
As for Jones' sentence, Nilson said she would leave it up to the judge to decide his fate.
Prosecutor Katherine Bernards-Goodman told the jury during closing arguments at the end of the four-day trial that the inside of Brennan's car held the key clues that pointed to Jones — especially his DNA on a cigarette butt, his DNA under Brennan's fingernails, and his DNA on the belt that was used to strangle Brennan.
Prosecutor Katherine Bernards-Goodman told the jury during closing arguments at the end of the four-day trial that the inside of Brennan's car held the key clues that pointed to Jones in the Feb. 24, 2004, crime — especially his DNA on a cigarette butt, his DNA under Brennan's fingernails, and his DNA on the belt that was used to strangle Brennan.
Jones was desperate for the $200 in Brennan's wallet, and drug addicts do desperate things, Bernards-Goodman said.
"When you are a drug addict, money is your master," she said. "That $200 in her wallet is his fix for today and tomorrow. He isn't worried about losing a customer. There are plenty of people driving to Pioneer Park looking for drugs."
Bernards-Goodman said this was a violent crime and, to people who are not substance abusers, killing someone for $200 does not make sense.
"Who does such a thing?" the prosecutor asked. "A doped-up drug addict."
Brennan's car was found by Poplar Grove Park, near 800 South and 1200 West, with a window rolled down. Jones told police Brennan had come to him at a homeless shelter seeking drugs and he helped her buy crack cocaine, which they smoked in her car. They also shared a cigarette, he told police.
However, Jones has insisted all along that Brennan was "fine" when he got out of the vehicle and left.
The 28-year-old woman had graduated from Stanford University, and while there, she became addicted to cocaine. After going into various drug rehabilitation programs in California, she returned to her mother's home in Utah to take part in a 12-step program.
Defense attorney Lawrence Sleight said police neglected to investigate DNA on cigarettes found outside the car, footprints within the vehicle, a blond hair found outside and a report that a blond man was seen cleaning the car out that morning.
As for Jones' DNA, Sleight said it could have been transferred to Brennan as they shared a crack pipe and cigarette, and the belt might have fallen from the homeless man's backpack.
"Why would Michael Jones kill this woman?" Sleight asked. "If you're the middleman, you can't support your own habit if you don't have clients."
Sleight also suggested it was possible the crime was committed by another woman, who then positioned Brennan's body to make it look as if a sex crime had occurred to throw police off.
"Her throat was cut from side to side, and she was strangled," he said. "It was horrific. Whoever did this to this woman did not like her."
Bernards-Goodman said police worked on this case for years, gathered extensive evidence and interviewed between 30 and 40 people. What happened outside the vehicle was not important, since DNA from multiple sources is virtually everywhere: "We're worried about what happened in that car."
Bernards-Goodman also scoffed at the idea that Jones was grooming Brennan to be a repeat customer.
" 'Right now' is how an addict thinks," she said.
