2021 parole hearing date for Midvale man convicted of manslaughter

A Midvale man sentenced to prison for beating his roommate to death over some missing CDs will wait eight years for a hearing before the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

After an administrative review of the case, the board set an October 2021 original hearing date for Christopher John Wiggins, 24.

Wiggins pleaded guilty to second-degree felony manslaughter and first-degree felony aggravated burglary in January. He was sentenced in March to one to 15 years on the manslaughter charge and five to life for aggravated burglary, with the terms running consecutively.

He and David Brown, 47, had several disputes for months over various issues, including Wiggins' unhappiness over the home being too messy when his daughter came to visit and claims of stolen property.

On Oct. 15, 2011, Wiggins confronted Brown about 50 to 60 CDs that had disappeared from their home two days earlier. Wiggins left the home briefly and by the time he returned, the locks had been changed.

Wiggins climbed a ladder to break into his bedroom and the two men then began to argue. The dispute escalated into a physical fight after Wiggins threw a plate at Brown's face. At one point, Wiggins struck Brown several times with a rake handle. Police found Brown's body at the bottom of a set of stairs.

A medical examiner concluded Brown died of an enlarged heart, but the stress of the assault precipitated his death.

brooke@sltrib.com