This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 34-year-old man charged with killing his girlfriend during a fight last year at a Salt Lake City motel has pleaded guilty to third-degree felony homicide by assault.
Oscar Eduardo Reyes admitted to police that he struck 33-year-old Deborah Haudley twice with his open hand the night of June 30, 2010.
The next morning, Reyes awoke to find her dead on the bed next to him.
Reyes was charged with homicide by assault based on autopsy results showing the woman died of a subdural hematoma — bleeding in the membrane between her brain and skull — that could have been caused by blows to her face.
But the victim's poor health raised questions that resulted in a plea deal and no prison time.
Prosecutor Josh Player told The Tribune that during a December preliminary hearing, Utah Chief Medical Examiner Todd Grey testified that due to the victim's excessive consumption of alcohol and resultant liver damage, it was possible there could have been spontaneous bleeding inside her skull.
The medical examiner added that a person of normal health would not have died from being slapped, according to Player.
Reyes was charged with homicide by assault. He also was charged with third-degree felony witness tampering for telling another woman he had killed Haudley and that if she told anyone, he would kill her, too, according to charging documents.
Police arrested Reyes after that woman contacted them about his confession.
As part of a plea bargain agreement, the witness tampering charge was dismissed and Reyes entered an Alford plea to the homicide count, meaning he maintains his innocence but is pleading guilty to take advantage of the plea offer.
Reyes, a native of Mexico, had already served 270 days behind bars. He was released to immigration authorities and ordered by 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton not to return to Utah for the next 36 months, which is the term of his probation.
Player said he met with the victim's family, who understood the plea deal and did not object.
Player said Reyes argued with Haudley and slapped her after she became jealous at seeing the names and numbers of other women on his cell phone.
Reyes, who had been with Haudley for a couple of months, was given the phone by someone else, who had input the other people's numbers, Player said.