Thread: Man claims Spice pushed him to murder Taylorsville woman

Man claims Spice pushed him to murder Taylorsville woman

By McKenzie Romero, Deseret News

Published: Thursday, May 21 2015 1:33 p.m. MDT

Bryan Steve Quintanilla, 19, was sentenced to prison Thursday for the death of Margaret Steffey, 59. Steffey's body was found in her Taylorsville home on April 16, 2014. Activity on her ATM card led police to Quintanilla.
Salt Lake County Jail

Summary

A West Jordan man who killed a woman in her Taylorsville home and was caught attempting to flee the country has been sentenced to at least 30 years and up to life in prison.

WEST JORDAN — A West Jordan man who killed a woman in her Taylorsville home and was caught attempting to flee the country has been sentenced to at least 30 years and up to life in prison.

Bryan Steve Quintanilla, 19, was sentenced Thursday to terms of 25 years to life for aggravated murder and five years to life for aggravated robbery. A judge ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

Quintanilla pleaded guilty last month to the charges, admitting to violently beating Margaret Steffey, 59, to death before stashing her body in a crawl space in her home, 3973 W. Blue Meadow Drive (5850 South).

Quintanilla then fled with Steffey's financial cards and was apprehended hours before he was to board a plane to El Salvador, a trip he had purchased using the dead woman's accounts.

Quintanilla apologized in court Thursday for the killing, saying that heavy use of the drug Spice — as much as two jars a day — had driven him "off the rails."

"I want to say that I'm really sorry for the pain that I caused for the family," Quintanilla said. "I took a life out of this world that I will never be able to give back, and for that I am deeply sorry."

Prosecutors said Thursday that Steffey's death was the end of a crime that continued to escalate — a home invasion and burglary that led to assault and eventually murder.

Members of Steffey's family who attended the sentencing chose not to speak. Some family members, including those who were too old or lived too far away to attend, submitted letters to the court.

Judie Nelson, Steffey's cousin, said in a letter that some of Steffey's relatives were so troubled by the killing that they could never be told the violent details of what happened.

"This murder was senseless," Nelson wrote. "Maggi would have given him money, he didn't need to kill her for it."

Before handing down the sentence, 3rd District Judge Bruce Lubeck told Quintanilla that drug use could not explain away his brutal actions.

"It is beyond comprehension how this sort of thing can happen," Lubeck said. "It makes me shudder to think what she must have gone through with you in there."

In exchange for his pleas, prosecutors dismissed charges of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, and two counts of unlawful use a financial card, a third-degree felony.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865629145/Man-claims-Spice-pushed-him-to-murder-Taylorsville-woman.html?pg=all

Update: Margaret Steffey murder *Bryan Steve Quintanilla pled guilty; Sentenced to 30-years-to-life in prison

Posted on April 8, 2015 by mylifeofcrime

Margaret Steffey
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INMATE INFORMATION

Name: BRYAN STEVE QUINTANILLA
Sex: M
Age: 18
Height: 509
Weight: 165
Race: WHITE
Hair Color: BROWN
Eye Color: BROWN

Inmate Information
Booking #: 14021019
SO#: 375272
State ID: 1312178
FBI: 235771AE9
Citizen: EL SALVADOR
COB: EL SALVADOR

Incarceration Information
Current Location: MAIN
County: SALT LAKE
Current Housing Section: 03
Current Housing Block: C
Current Housing Cell: 09
Current Housing Bed: A
Booked Date: 04/19/2014

Alias Information
BRYAN PRESENTACION
BEEZEY AKA

Bond Information
Case #: Amount: $2,000,000.00 Status: Open Posted By: Post Date: 04/20/2014

Charge Information

Case # Offense Date Code Description Grade Degree
04/19/2014 76.6.1102.3A IDENTITY FRAUD (LESS THAN 5000) F 3
04/19/2014 76.6.1105.2.b.i Unlawful poss. of another ID documents F 3
04/19/2014 76.6.506.4 Financial trans. card offense-property obtained unlawful F 3
04/19/2014 76.6.405 Theft by Deception F 3
04/19/2014 76.6.506.2 FTC-Unlawful use of card or automated banking device F 3
04/19/2014 76.5.202 Agg murder F 1
04/19/2014 76.6.203 Aggravated burglary F 1

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