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Logan » Jurors, who will decide by the end of the week whether Glenn Howard Griffin, 51, goes to death row, got to know Bradley Newell Perry, the man he murdered 24 years ago.
The oldest son of Newell B. and Claudia Perry was tortured and murdered on May 26, 1984, at a convenience store near Brigham City, just two days before he turned 23.
Perry's brothers and sisters on Tuesday joined their parents in describing a strong, intelligent, happy and compassionate Eagle Scout and returned missionary.
At the time of his death, Perry was working, going to school full-time and preparing to marry Laura Boyd Hill, who described him Tuesday as the "love of her life."
"My heart aches to imagine what kind of a great husband, father and grandfather he might have become had his life not been stolen from him," said Perry's sister, Valerie Perry Odenthal, in a statement read by her brother Lee Perry.
"We miss him so much."
Prosecutor Brad Smith called eight witnesses as the penalty phase of the capital murder trial began Tuesday.
Tim Scott, a supervisor with the Utah State Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, said he knew Griffin when they were children and has worked with Griffin since 1987 in Utah's prison, probation and parole systems. Griffin's criminal record includes arrests for possession and distribution of drugs and weapons, aggravated burglary and dozens of probation and parole violations, Scott testified.